


Amelia's Not Well

by lma88



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: AU, Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Mental Health Issues, Mental Institutions, Psychologists & Psychiatrists, Schizophrenia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-06
Updated: 2015-06-18
Packaged: 2018-01-23 19:40:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 23
Words: 24,110
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1577171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lma88/pseuds/lma88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Amelia Pond was 7 years old when she first met The Doctor. AU where Amy truly is delusional and the only monsters are the ones in her head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Crack in the Wall

Amelia Pond was 7 years old when she was first met The Doctor. 

“I can hear it talking; the crack in my wall.” 

“What does it say?” The Doctor asked. 

“Prisoner Zero has escaped.” Amelia replied. 

“Have you ever seen this Prisoner Zero?” The Doctor leaned in interested in the discussion. Dr. John Smith was a young man in his mid-20’s and a recent graduate. Amelia was one of his first patients. 

“No, I’ve never seen Prisoner Zero.” Amelia crossed her legs and swung them back and forth in an armchair much too big for her. 

“Anything else?” The Doctor smiled as he looked up from his notes. “Where he escaped from or where he might be now?” 

“He escaped from the crack in my wall.” Amelia rolled her eyes. “But how should I know where he is now?” 

“This crack is in your bedroom, correct?” The Doctor put his pen to his lips in thought. 

“That’s right.” Amelia shook her head yes. “The voices come from the crack in my wall. They want the prisoner found and locked away but I don’t know where he is. Even if I did know where he was I wouldn’t know how to get him back through to the other side of the crack.”

“Do you have any idea what might be on the other side?” The Doctor asked. 

“The other side of the universe.” Amelia whispered. 

“Mind if I go upstairs and take a look at it?” The Doctor stood up from the couch. 

“Sure” Amelia took his hand and lead him up the stairs to her room. 

The Doctor inspected the crack in Amelia’s wall. He ran his fingers through it and put his ear to it. He told her not to worry and that he’d make sure to help her fix the situation as best he could. “I’ll get to the bottom of it.” He assured her. 

Word had begun to spread in her small town about her visits with The Doctor and about all her strange imaginings. Some people began to treat her differently; mostly out of fear. They knew she’d been hearing voices and it scared people. As if her voices would start asking her to kill. 

The only person who played with her was Rory. All the other kids at school were either afraid of her or teased her but Rory spoke to her as if she was just like anybody else. He understood she was different but he found her strangeness fascinating. 

“She’s very sick” Rory’s mother would say. “It’s very kind of you to want to be her friend but remember that she’s not well. Schizophrenics can get violent if they’re not treated properly.” Rory’s mother warned him.

“I do treat her properly.” Rory crossed his arms and raised his voice. “Besides, I was reading about it because I wanted to understand Amy and that’s not how schizophrenia works at all. Amy’s nice. She’s not violent at all. She’s just trapped in her dreams and can’t get out of them like everyone else can.” 

“We have to find Prisoner Zero!” Amelia declared one afternoon in Rory’s treehouse. “If he isn’t found the solar flares will eat the Earth.” 

“Where should we start looking, Amy?” Rory happily played along. 

“I don’t know” Amy jumped off a tree limb to the grass below. “That way” She pointed in no particular direction. 

Rory slowly climbed down the rope ladder from the treehouse. “Hey, Amy!” Rory knelt down to look at Amy’s knees. “I think you hurt yourself jumping off the tree.” He noticed a little blood trickling down her leg. “I have a first aid kit. Hold on!” Rory came back with a disinfectant wipe and a bandaid. “This won’t hurt” He passed the disinfectant on Amy’s cut and she whined in pain. “I lied” Rory whispered. “But you’re better now, see?” He placed the bandage over her knee. 

“You should be The Doctor and help me send Prisoner Zero back home.” Amelia ran around with her arms extended like airplane wings. 

“Ok” Rory laughed at Amelia’s enthusiasm. Rory knew she was trapped in a dream and he wished so much to be a part of her dreams. 

By Amelia’s 8th birthday the voices in the crack had become a faint whisper. She now insisted solar flares threatened to consume the Earth. She’d wear a large jacket with her hood up everyday and large sunglasses to protect from the sun. 

“Amy it’s the middle of summer and it’s far too hot to wear all that clothes. You’ll get heat stroke!” Amelia’s Aunt, Sharon would yell from the porch as she watched Rory and Amelia play in the backyard. 

“Here” Rory handed her a water bottle. “If you really want something to protect you from the sun you should drink this so you don’t faint.”

“Wow thanks!” Amy grabbed the bottle as best she could with mittens on and drank the whole thing. “Let’s go inside! I want to dress you like The Doctor so we can save the star whale.” 

“Ok” Rory smiled as she took his hand and ran up to her room. Once in her room Rory gasped at the sight of a seriously injured dog quietly whimpering. 

“We have to save it. It’s been tortured but it’s kind” Amy knelt down beside it. 

Rory put his hands on it to feel it’s pulse and saw it had cuts and scars all over. “I’ll be right back I promise. 5 minutes.” Rory ran downstairs and told Aunt Sharon to call an animal shelter. 

Everyone began to place the blame on Amy. Everyone assumed she had something to do with the dog’s torture even though Rory knew better. He tried to fight for her to stay but the adults had all made up their minds. 

“We specialize in young children who need psychiatric help at our school and we promise you nothing but the best care for your little Amelia.” Father Octavian placed a firm hand on Amy’s shoulder. He noticed the fear in Amy’s eyes and he smiled. “There’s nothing to worry about. The angels are always watching over you.” He handed Amy a small picture of an angel with it’s arms outstretched around two small children. 

Amy’s eye began to itch. She could feel the angle behind her eyes.


	2. The Angels

The school was a religious institution for children in need of psychiatric therapy. It was a beautiful cathedral with angelic statues guarding every gate and every corridor. Amelia would get visits from The Doctor and his associate Dr. Song for weekly check ups.

She spent 4 years as a student and patient at Father Octavian's school and a full recovery seemed within reach before things began to fall apart again. Quite literally; things fell apart after a clergy member was accidently killed by a statue of an angel falling from the 4th story balcony. Amelia's treatment and therapy stopped working soon after.

"Hello, Doctor" Amy smiled as Dr. Smith walked in.

"Hello, Amelia" The Doctor smiled back. "You're turning 13 next week aren't you?"

"That's right" Amy beamed.

"Do you think you might be ready to go back home for good?" The Doctor asked sitting at the armchair beside Amy's bed.

"I don't know if I want to go back. Not now that we have to stop the angels. I can't go back now" Amelia's eyes shifted back and forth. "Don't blink."

"The angels? Why do you think they need to be stopped?" The Doctor asked trying to hide the disappointment in his voice. He thought she was finally ready to leave the institute.

"They're killing people. I've never liked them. They make my eyes hurt." Amy rubbed her eyes and saw sand pouring out of them and onto her hands. "I'm turning to stone! Doctor, what do I do?!"

"Amy..." The Doctor took her hands in his. "I need you to trust me. Close your eyes and focus. Just listen to my voice." The Doctor kissed Amelia's forehead. He'd grown to care for her very much since they first met 6 years ago.

When Amy opened her eyes she found herself alone in her dormitory. The Doctor had disappeared and the angel behind her eyes was gone. She saw an empty bed beside hers and a crack in the wall of her dormitory.

"What happened to my roommate?" Amelia asked when The Doctor came to visit the following week for her 13th birthday.

"Which roommate?" The Doctor asked.

"Melody's not here. How do you explain the empty bed?" Amelia pointed to the bed behind her. "The crack in the wall erased her just like it erased the angels."

The Doctor didn't seem to know who Melody was but Amy did and Melody had always known who The Doctor was. Amelia had gotten older and understood that sometimes she imagined things but how could she have imagined something that felt so real. She had a roommate named Melody for years and now it was like she never existed.

Amy was eternally grateful to The Doctor for saving her from the angels and from her sickness. She found herself looking in the mirror to make sure she looked her best before The Doctor came in to visit. In the last 5 years she'd grown much taller and she looked less like a child and more like a young woman. She wanted to be a woman.

She wore her uniform skirt a little shorter and buttoned her blouse a little lower. She twirled her long red hair in her fingers when The Doctor spoke and imagined the two of them together. She'd toss and turn at night in her bed wishing for him to be beside her.

"I'm taking you back home, Amy." The Doctor sat beside her on her bed "You can be with Aunt Sharon again and you can see your old friends. You know Rory still asks about you?"

"He does?" Amy vaguely remembered a sweet little boy named Rory. She wasn't sure if he was real or not. She hated that she couldn't tell sometimes.

"Yeah, you remember him? I think he's a good friend. He might be good for you." The Doctor smiled.

"But what if that's not who I want?" Amy leaned in uncomfortably close to The Doctor.

"I'm not sure what you mean, Amy" The Doctor felt uneasy.

"Let me think of something simpler you can understand" Amy placed her hand on The Doctor's chest and leaned in for a kiss but The Doctor quickly dodged it and jumped off of her bed.

"No, Amy!" The Doctor found himself up against a blue wardrobe as Amy ran her hands up and down his chest and kissed him hard on the lips. "Amy, you're my patient you can't... you can't do this." He tried to speak between kisses. "I'm 32 years old and your 13, Amy!" He held her by the arms and pushed her back onto her bed. "We have to get you sorted out."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you" Amy leaned back on the bed smiling.

Dr. Smith quickly took her hand and got her to stand back up. "Listen to me. If you do this again I can't see you anymore. Do you understand? This isn't going to work."

Amy stood doe eyed and confused as she let it sink in. "I wasn't suggesting anything long term." She smiled seductively.

The Doctor quickly left her room and locked the door behind him. "She's 13, she's 13. She's Amelia Pond and she's 13." He whispered to himself over and over as he walked briskly down the corridor to Father Octavian's office to get his final approval to send Amy home.

Rory's mother advised him against it; but Rory wanted to be there when she returned. He'd thought about her everyday since they took her away. He wanted to know that she was ok.

Dr. Smith's associate, Dr. Song dropped Amelia off at Aunt Sharon's house. Sharon and Rory waved at her from the front door as she walked up to the house for the first time in nearly 5 years. Rory was surprised to see it was a tall beautiful redhead in a mini skirt who stepped out of the car. He was expecting a little 8 year old in a winter coat and mittens. Amy had grown strikingly attractive.

"Welcome home, Amelia" Aunt Sharon hugged her tight.

"Hi, Amy" Rory waved sheepishly.

Amelia smiled wide at the sight of her old childhood friend. He'd grown into a tall, lanky, goofy looking teenage boy with a dirty blonde mop for a head of hair and a nose too long for the rest of his face. But his sweet blue eyes were still the same. "Hello" Amy chuckled as she gave him a hug.

"You look amazing. I mean..." Rory stumbled over his words. "... that is to say.. umm you look good...you look well, I mean. I'm so glad you're well enough to come back home." Rory smiled and looked down at the ground when he spoke to her. He wasn't used to a beautiful girl actually listening to what he had to say.


	3. Crazy Amy

Amelia smiled but she hid a strange fear that maybe the real world wasn't for her. She already missed the fantasy she'd created for herself. She almost wanted the angels and Mels and The Doctor's love to really exist. The real world seemed far too mundane for her.

Aunt Sharon went into the kitchen to fetch them all some lemonade leaving Amy alone with Rory in the livingroom. "You'll help me get situated, won't you?" Amy smiled and winked rather flirtatiously at Rory. "You'll help me act normal and boring just like everybody else."

"Are you suggesting I'm the expert on all things normal and boring?" Rory sounded jokingly upset. "Because you're absolutely right. I am the most normal and boring person you could ever hope to meet. I'm your guy."

"Good, you're my guy then" Amy gave Rory a friendly nudge "You're all mine" She ruffled his already messy hair and chuckled as she moved her hands slowly up Rory's chest until they reached his shoulders. She hugged him tight and gave him a peck on the cheek. "You're all mine" She whispered in a playfully seductive fashion that made Rory's lips quiver.

"All yours, gladly." Rory stood firmly planted in place as she walked away and ran up the stairs to her old room. Rory felt as if Amy had bewitched him with her touch somehow.

The word quickly spread around town that Amelia Pond was back in town and Rory had to deal with all the questions since everyone knew him as the only kid in town who was friends with her.

"Is it true?" Jeff asked as he caught Rory walking home. "Crazy Amy's actually back from the psycho ward?"

"Don't... don't call her that" Rory rolled his eyes. "Yes, Amy's back. She just wants to live a normal life and fit in again so show a little respect and don't call her 'Crazy Amy'. Okay?"

"Fine, sorry" Jeff apologized half-heartedly.

"Rory!" Amy caught Rory as she walked home with a bag of groceries and gave him a big hug. "Who's your friend?" She looked at Jeff and smiled flirtatiously at him. Rory felt strangely jealous but he wasn't surprised at Amy's reaction to Jeff. Jeff was known around school as the typical teenage heartthrob while Rory was known as the dork who used to be friends with a crazy dog murderer.

"Name's Jeff. You new around here? I've never seen you before and I wouldn't forget a beautiful face like yours." Jeff turned on his charm. Rory rolled his eyes and sighed with a mixture of anger, disgust and despair.

"Yeah, Rory's promised to show me around and get me all situated." Amy put her arm around Rory "Right?"

"Right" Rory smiled.

"He's a good guy." Amy gave Rory a peck on the cheek. "I gotta go before Aunt Sharon gets worried but I'll see you boys around" She waved goodbye as she ran off.

"Who's the smoking red-head, Rory?" Jeff put his arm around Rory as if they were suddenly old pals. "Think you can hook me up?"

"No." Rory removed Jeff's arm from around his shoulder. "She's an old friend of mine"

"Since when have you got friends, Rory?" Jeff laughed. "Oh wait..." Jeff wasn't the brightest but he slowly put the pieces together. "That's... that was Crazy Amy?! Oh, wow she got hot!"

"You're a real class act, Jeff" Rory scoffed.

"Come on, don't act like you didn't think about it. You told her you'd 'show her around' and 'get her situated' am I right?" Jeff nudged Rory's shoulder. "I wouldn't say no to a night with her, you know what I mean? So, I'm not judging you for trying to get with that. Like, she's so hot that I don't even care that she almost killed a dog once."

"Jeff, you are a top of the line asshole with a capital A." Rory smiled sarcastically.

"Whatever, dork. You're lucky she's bonkers. Otherwise she wouldn't give a loser like you the time of day." With that Jeff walked off and left Rory to wonder if Jeff had a point.

Rory figured she'd have to be crazy to really be interested in him. Or worse, maybe Amy knew she had power over him and kept Rory close because she knew he'd do anything for her. But Rory was so low on self-esteem that he wasn't above being used as long as he made Amy happy.

That night Rory got a call from Amy asking if he could come over.

"It's almost midnight" Rory whispered as he met Amy in Aunt Sharon's garden.

"Remember when I used to look out here and I'd think that The Doctor was coming for me to take me away on an adventure?" Amy looked out into the garden. "And then he did." She laughed but something in her voice sounded sad.

"Yeah" Rory smiled back sheepishly and looked at the ground. "But you're home now and you've grown up. Everything's going to be ok now" Rory found himself making a bold move and held her hand in his. But he wasn't bold enough to stop looking at the ground as he did so.

"I know everyone in town calls me crazy" Amy whispered as she held Rory's hand a little tighter. "I've been gone for 5 years and in that time I've become some sort of legend. Amelia Pond, like a name in a fairytale. Crazy little girl who hears voices and invents make-believe friends that aren't really there."

"I'm really here, Amy." Rory found the courage to look up at her. He looked into her big green eyes. "It's you and me always. I promise you"

Amelia looked up at the stars. "I'm not staying here for high school. The Doctor and Aunt Sharon have decided I should go to a private school this coming fall. They said I'd be safer there." Amy still held Rory's hand. "Calvierri School for Girls. Better than staying here and being called Crazy Amy all the time."

"But you'll keep in touch, yeah?" Rory asked putting his arm around her shoulder. "I'll write you every day."

"Thanks. You're a great friend." Amy was touched by his kindness and felt the urge to kiss him. But unlike Rory, Amy wasn't the sort to hold back the way he did. She leaned in and kissed him square on the lips like she had with The Doctor but Rory didn't run away.

He held her by the waist and kissed her back softly. He took a step back and smiled. "Thanks." Rory looked back at the ground. He wanted to say 'I love you' but figured she wouldn't say it back. "Umm... goodnight, Amy" Rory hugged her.

"Goodnight" Amy waved him goodbye.


	4. Vampires

Calvierri was an elite school for girls so exclusive that parents would do anything they could to get their daughters in. Most of the girls at the school were used to a certain kind of lifestyle. Most of them had families with deep pockets.

"They have to fill their 'helping the disadvantaged' quota so that's why I'm here." Isabella laughed as she unpacked. "I'm glad I have another normal girl as a roommate"

"Well, you're right that I'm not rich but I'm certainly not normal either" Amy laughed. "I'm glad I got a good roommate too. You remind me a little bit of a roommate I used to have back at my old school. She was always getting herself into trouble."

"Well, I'm not much of a trouble maker" Isabella smiled.

"You are real, aren't you?" Amy asked falling back onto her bed.

"Last I checked, yeah." Isabella laughed.

"Good, because one day I turned around and Mels didn't even exist anymore." Amy's bright green eyes darted back to look at Isabella to make sure she was still there.

"Not sure what that means exactly but I won't disappear if that's what you mean." Isabella had a shy sweet smile.

The first few weeks of school Amy and Bella had a difficult time fitting in and got looked on by the other girls as the charity cases of the school. Amy didn't let it get to her. She'd been called a crazy person before so being called poor wasn't so bad. For Isabella it was a different story.

"Is it bad that I wished I was more like them?" Isabella looked in the mirror as she brushed her long black hair "I don't know if you've noticed that I'm the only black girl at this school."

Amelia laughed. "I didn't notice." She walked up behind Isabella and looked into her eyes from the mirror's reflection. "Are you saying you want to look like them? Because you're totally beautiful. Besides, those girls are a cult. Blood sucker, the lot of them"

The next few days Isabella acted more and more like the other girls and even ignored Amy when she was around the other girls. Amy really began to worry when Isabella pretended not to know her father in front of the other girls when he came to visit.

"She's been brainwashed." Amy whispered to Rory in the hall on visitation day. "She didn't even recognize her own father"

"No offense, Amy but I think she might just be trying to fit in. She can't be actually brainwashed." Rory held her hand as they walked to a garden outside the school grounds.

"Oh, she is. They're a cult and I've seen some of them have fangs. I think they might be vampires." Amelia was serious. "But isn't that exciting?!" She suddenly smiled.

"Amy that shouldn't be exciting. That sounds dangerous." Rory looked worried.

"That's half the fun, Rory" Amy took Rory's hands and guided them to her waist. She kissed him so passionately that Rory's hands lost their grip on her hips as if his body had been completely defeated by her.

They walk out from behind the bushes in the garden to be spotted by the headmistress, Ms. Calvierri herself. "And this is..?"

"This is my brother, Rory." Amy quickly came up with a lie.

"Yup" Rory said feeling a little disappointed Amy still hasn't called him a boyfriend since the night they first kissed but also understanding that saying he's her boyfriend now wouldn't be a good idea.

"It's time to go. Say goodbye to your 'sister'." Ms. Calvierri took Amy back inside the school.

That night Amy sat in silence while she watched Isabella sit in front of the mirror combing her hair like she did every night. But tonight was different. Amy couldn't see a reflection in the mirror. She couldn't see her dark, kind eyes. It was just an empty mirror with Isabella sitting in front of it.

"You've been converted into one of them, haven't you?" Amy whispered. "I wish I could save you but it's too late for you"

Isabella sighed and spoke with her back still turned to Amy. "I'm sorry. I've been very cold, haven't I?"

"That's what happens when you become a vampire, Izzy." Amy slowly stood up and walked towards Isabella with her hands balled up in fists feeling the need to be ready to defend herself.

"I'm finally being accepted as one of them and I honestly don't want you to save me from them." Amy saw Isabella's eyes grow cold just like all the other monster girls and she knew there was nothing more she could do for her.

Amy was restless in bed; unable to sleep for fear her roommate might attack and take a bite out of her. But it was the other girls who took a bite out of Isabella. Amelia knew it was the girls who forced her to jump off that balcony. "You all killed her!" She yelled at the girls. "Blood sucking beasts, mind controlling monsters." Amy had to be held back by the police at the scene. It was ruled a suicide but Amy knew better.

All this time The Doctor had kept his distance but still kept tabs on Amy's progress; sometimes through Dr. Song and sometimes through Rory.

"We need to talk about your girlfriend" Dr. Smith sat in the armchair across from Rory. Everyone called Rory 'Amy's boyfriend' except for Amy herself. The Doctor took a deep breath before confessing. "She tried to kiss me."

Rory could do nothing more than stare blankly in shock for a moment. "And you kissed her back?" He finally spoke trying to hold back his growing anger.

"No, I kissed her mouth" The Doctor quickly realized he completely misunderstood and he quickly tried to backpedal. "That's why we sent her to an all girl's school. She was kissing a lot of boys during her short stay in Leadworth last summer. She's a great kisser." The Doctor found himself saying the wrong words again. "I'm sorry. Sometimes you think of something in your head and it seems fine."

Rory looked at The Doctor with a stone cold expression on his face. "You are without a doubt the worst doctor I've ever met."

"You might be right" The Doctor smiled "But my associate and I think she's more than ready to try life at home again."


	5. This is a Dream

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning for slight inferences of abuse

Amy lived a relatively stable 2 years in Leadworth with Rory and even managed to make some friends at school. Now at 17 she hadn’t seen The Doctor for some time. She was seeing a new therapist. Amy called him The Dream Lord since she came to him on a monthly basis to discuss her recurring dreams. 

Amelia kept having two different dreams over and over. In her first dream she was falling into a cold star and slowly dying while in the second dream she was content in Leadworth, married to Rory and very pregnant. 

“But which dream is real?” Amelia asked. “Am I slowly freezing to death or am I happily married and expecting my first child with my best friend?” 

“Choose which one you like best” The Dream Lord suggested. 

“Well, you obviously like the one where we’re married more, right?” Rory answered when Amy told him about her dreams. 

“Yeah, I guess so” Amy smiled. 

Everything seemed fine until she woke up crying hysterically. Rory had been killed in her Leadworth dream. She ran out of bed and grabbed the keys to her Aunt’s car. She drove as fast as she could. “This is the dream. This isn’t real because Rory’s not here.” She cried. If she crashed the car in her dream then maybe she would wake up and Rory wouldn’t be dead. She drove head first into a wall and everything went black. 

It was so cold. She was freezing and slowly falling into a cold star. She was dying but Rory was beside her holding her hand. 

“Do you have any idea what triggered it?” Rory’s eyes filled with water as he held Amy’s hand. She was lying unresponsive in a hospital bed plugged into the machinery keeping her alive. “It doesn’t make sense. It’s been years since she’s had an episode. I thought she was finally ok.”

“I don’t think she’ll ever be ok, Rory” Aunt Sharon sat with her hand holding up her head as she sat in an armchair on the other side of the room. “She nearly killed someone.” Sharon was close to tears. “She was inches away from a child’s crib when she ran my car into that house. She almost killed a child.” The tears finally started coming down. “When she wakes up she’s going away, Rory. I can’t deal with this anymore. Amelia’s not well. She’s insane; criminally insane.” 

“She’s not a criminal!” Rory stood up defiantly. 

“She’s committed grand theft and nearly committed a negligent homicide. I will not set her loose on the world and let her kill someone.” Sharon stood up to match Rory’s defiance with her own. He’d grown taller than her in the last few years. 

“I won’t let you do this. Wherever you lock her away I’ll find her and I’ll bring her home. Just watch me!” Rory stormed out of the room nudging Aunt Sharon with his shoulder as he walked past her on his way out. 

Amy awoke from her slumber and found herself is a sterile white room. “What are you in for?” A young woman with dark skin and bright green eyes smiled at Amy quite mischievously. 

“I ...don’t know” Amy couldn’t remember. 

“Nice” She laughed. “My name’s Alaya and you’re my prisoner.” She smiled as she slowly stood up from the bed where she’d been sitting beside Amy. “We’ve been performing experiments on you.”

Amy pulled the sheet of her bed closer to her. Amy looked around confused. This was her 5th day at the asylum and she woke up the same way every time with no recollection of her accidental suicide attempt. Alaya took this to her advantage. Alaya had killed the man who killed her little sister and claimed some post traumatic stress to get her into a mental health asylum as opposed to maximum security. But Alaya wasn’t like Amy; she knew she’d killed a man and she had enjoyed every minute she spent watching him die. She was a sadist; pure and simple. 

“Where’s Rory?” Amy asked with eyes close to tears. 

“Rory’s dead.” Alaya smiled. “I killed him” 

Alaya watched Amy cry and smiled. She’d taken great pleasure in making Amy cry for the last couple of days. The last few days Amy had cried at the news of Rory’s death and curled herself up in bed spending the rest of the day completely catatonic. The doctors and other patients assumed it to be ‘normal’ for Amy to walk like an unresponsive zombie since they were in fact at a mental health asylum so it wasn’t out of the question to act this way. They assumed it had to do with her suicide attempt. 

But Alaya’s bullying backfired on the 5th day when Amy didn’t react with silent defeat but instead fought back. 

“I’ll kill you!” Amy screamed as she jumped out of the bed and started clawing at Alaya’s face. Security rushed into their cell and quickly pulled them apart. Amy was deemed unfit to handle a roommate and moved into a solitary confinement room until she could prove herself capable of interacting with other patients. 

When Rory got word that Amy couldn’t have visitors because she’d been moved to solitary he was livid. He knew it wasn’t right and quickly called Dr. Smith knowing he’d be willing and able to help. Amy’s Dream Lord was nowhere in sight. 

“We have to find out what really happened.” Rory explained. “They won’t let me see her but you’re her therapist so they have to let you in.”

“I haven’t been her therapist for years now but I’ll see what I can do. You know I’d do anything for Amy” The Doctor smiled. 

“I know” Rory looked at the ground as he smiled back. Rory was worried about Amy’s feelings for The Doctor and vise versa but he wasn’t going to let his petty insecurities get in the way of doing whatever it took to save Amy from that prison. 

After days in solitary, Amelia is finally let out to speak with her therapist. “Hello, Amy” The Doctor smiled. 

“I knew if anyone had the power to save me it’d be you, Doctor!” Amelia beamed.


	6. Vincent's Monster

"Amy, do you know why you're here?" The Doctor smiled.

"No" Amy whispered. "But they've been performing experiments on me" She was close to tears.

"What makes you think that?" The Doctor looked worried.

"Alaya, she said she'd been experimenting on me while I slept" She started crying remembering Rory was dead and ran up to The Doctor and hugged him tight.

"Oh, Amelia. It'll be alright. I'm getting you out of here, promise" The Doctor stroked her hair and put his hand on her chin and raised her face up to look her in the eye. He slowly wiped her tears away from her cheeks with his hands. She was so beautiful; so sad and so beautiful. He softly ran his finger over her quivering lips. He noticed his little Amelia has grown into a woman in his absence as he caressed her. Suddenly realizing he'd held her for too long; he took a step back and extended his hand to her from a safer distance. "Come with me." He smiled as she took his hand.

Amelia's description of what Alaya had done to her sounded far too much like sexual misconduct for the asylum not to take action. After a serious line of questioning; Alaya confessed to emotionally abusing Amy for her own enjoyment. It was decided that Alaya was in fact aware of her crimes and not suffering from post traumatic stress at all. She would spend the rest of her sentence in a prison and away from vulnerable and susceptible mental patients.

Amelia was still in trouble for stealing a car and crashing it through a nursery so she was still forced to stay at an institution for the criminally insane for another year. This new institution was far nicer than the last. They had a field and a garden where the patients could roam freely (with guards always present of course).

A patient by the name of Vincent sent most of his day outside painting the landscapes. His paintings were vividly colored and slightly surreal and Amy loved them. Sometimes she'd pull up a chair and sit beside him to chat while he worked on his paintings.

"I thought you might like to draw these" She placed a bucket full of sunflowers on the table in the garden and sat down beside them smiling. Amy remembered him saying yellow was his favorite color because it tasted the happiest. Amy also made sure the paint wasn't toxic after he'd told her that.

One day Vincent started drawing a monster in all of his paintings. You could see it like a shadow creeping out of a window or behind a tree. He truly believed he saw it and his fear would sometimes consume him so much he'd spend the day in bed unable to paint. Amy didn't see the monster Vincent spoke of. This was one of the first times that Amy saw her illness from the outside and how strange it was to talk to someone who saw something you couldn't.

" 'Your hair is orange' was the first thing he ever said to me" Amelia laughed as she told The Doctor about him. "His hair is orange too. He said we'll have dozens of lovely ginger children together"

"You're not developing feelings for him, are you?" The Doctor worried.

"Oh, no!" Amy smiled. "It's only harmless flirting."

But Vincent didn't see it that way and after learning learning his feelings weren't returned he fell into despair and had to be monitored at all times for his safety.

"I thought I could help him be happy but I didn't help at all" Amy cried feeling maybe there was something more she could have done. "I only have two months left. I should spend the rest of my treatment somewhere else for his own good. Let him forget about me."

"No one could ever forget about you, Amy" The Doctor smiled. "But I think my associate can set you up at a new location."

A few days later Dr. Song came to pick her up. "Hello, sweetie" River Song walked out of a sleek black car in stunning heels and a tight fitting skirt and blouse. "It's been so many years since I saw you last. You're practically a woman." She smiled.

"I'm 19 next week, you know." Amy smiled as she stepped into the car with her to go to her new health clinic.

"Pandorica is a state of the art facility." Dr. Song informed Amy as they arrived.

"Like Pandora's Box" Amy smiled. "That was one of my favorite books as a kid. A box with all the worst things in the world in it."

Amy was dropped off at the gate with armed security as Dr. Song drove away. One guard accompanied her to her room and quickly made her feel uncomfortable. Something about the way he looked at her didn't sit right. Amy thought perhaps she was getting paranoid but her discomfort turned to fear as he lead her into her room closed the door behind him.

"What sort of trouble did a cute little girl like you get into to get mixed up in this place?" The armored guard asked smiling as he slowly walked towards her. Amy didn't answer; she only stepped back slowly.

"Back off" She tripped as she walked backwards and fell onto her bed. The guard began climb on top of her and she quickly started to scream and fight him but she wasn't strong enough. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the worst until someone came up from behind the guard and stuck a needle into his neck. The guard fell to the floor in a loud thunk.

A nurse stood with a syringe in hand and smiled. "Hello, Amy".

Amelia stood up but her vision grew fuzzy and she fainted in his arms. The nurse gently carried her onto her bed and looked at her longingly as she slept. He brushed her bright red hair off her face and tucked her in a blanket. "Did you miss me?" Rory whispered.


	7. Nice Swording

Rory had gotten his job as a nurse in Pandorica just two weeks before Amy checked in. The Doctor had told Rory how Amy had forgotten him and figured it best to let her go on living without him. Everyone said it was the right thing to do. He had to live his own life and move on past his feelings for Amy.

In the 2 years since Rory had last seen Amy he'd started nursing school and tried to move on with his life without her. He even tried to date other people but it never felt right. It felt like he was living someone else's life in a dream and Amy was going to be waiting for him in the real world when he woke up.

When Amy woke up after fainting Rory ran in to check on her. "You feeling alright?" Rory smiled.

"Yeah" Amy slowly stood up. "You were the one with the swordy thing, yeah?"

"The syringe?" Rory corrected her.

"Yeah, yeah." Amy made swishing sword movements "Nice swording" She tapped him on the shoulder.

"No problem" Rory looked defeated. It seemed Amy had truly forgotten him.

"So Amy!" The Doctor came by to visit breezing right past Rory without noticing him. "How's the new place."

"Very nice, thanks" Amy smiled.

"Umm, it's about time for lunch if you'd like to go up to the cafeteria. There's other nurses there so you'll be safe if..." Rory's cut off.

"You don't have to tell me twice when it's time for lunch" Amy quickly went out the door.

"Hi, Rory" The Doctor said nonchalantly before it suddenly hit him. "What are you doing here?! I'm not trying to be rude but you died. according to Amy you didn't just die; you don't even exist! She hasn't recognized you, has she?"

Rory shook his head no. "Well, I died and turned into a nurse; it's very distracting."

"Make her remember you" The Doctor put his arm around Rory reassuringly noticing how sad he looked.

Rory caught Amy outside at dusk after his shift at work ended. She was sitting in the outdoor terrace for patients with a blanket wrapped around her. "Hello, Amy." Rory smiled standing beside her. "You've got a blanket. That's good." He noticed it was feeling a little cold out. "Who have you that?"

"Yeah, one of the fellas?" Amy smiled.

"Which one?" Rory looked around worried.

"Does it matter which one?" Amy raised an eyebrow.

"No... I guess not" Rory tried to brush off his sudden fit of jealousy.

"What's your name again?" Amy squinted her eyes as if his face wasn't in focus.

"Rory" Rory whispered as he looked her in the eye. "I'm Rory, remember?"

"Rory" Amy whispered as she grew teary eyed. "Rory Williams, my boyfriend. How could I ever forget you?" They embraced and had a good cry. They reminisced their high school years together. "I think clearer when you're around. I just know I do." Amy held his face in her hands.

"2 years I waited" Rory was starting to let the tears fall.

"Shut up" Amy kissed him passionately and Rory kissed her back stronger still. The heavy lip lock lasted over a solid minute.

"Looks like someone hasn't been out much in the last two years." The Doctor caught them as the split up and brushed themselves off as if nothing had happened. An announcement came on saying it was time for all patients to come inside so the three of them walked back in and accompanied Amy back to her room.

"Wait here, Doctor" Amy stopped The Doctor from coming in as she pulled Rory into her room by his scrubs and closed the door. "Rory" She kissed him again grabbing at his hair. "Will I see you tonight."

"I'm off the clock. I'm not working the night shift." Rory spoke rather nonchalantly for a man who was being kissed and groped by a tall, attractive redhead.

"I'll work the night shift for ya." She laughed seductively as she sat down on her bed.

"Oh..umm. Yeah, I mean... That would be...great..." Rory felt himself walking towards her as she crooked her finger motioning him to come closer. "But I ..thing is that.." Rory felt Amy grab a fistful of his scrubs and slowly forced him down to his knees to look her in the eye as she sat on the edge of her bed. She kissed him again and Rory tried his hardest to concentrate with Amy's tongue down his throat. His body was melting. "Ok..see, the thing is..." Rory finally got a chance to take a breath. "I love you. I love you so much and if I weren't at work right now I wouldn't hesitate to take you up on your offer. But if I take it now I could lose my job. You understand right? I might be your boyfriend but in here you're my patient."

"Oh, you Doctor's are all the same" Amy huffed and fell back on the bed.

"You'll be out of here in a few weeks and then I would more than gladly work any late shifts you need me to work." Rory smiled.

"Good" Amy smiled back excitedly on the bed while kicking off her shoes. "I'll see you tomorrow then?"

"Yeah, you will" Rory smiled and kissed her again. "Remember we can't kiss in front of the others."

"Right" Amy whispered putting her finger to her lips.

Rory finally walked out with his hair a mess and his scrubs all wrinkled. He noticed the smile slowly growing on The Doctor's face. "You're not going to tell anyone are you?" Rory asked noticing The Doctor putting the pieces together.

"As inappropriate as the relationship might seem; I don't plan to. I trust she's in good hands with you." The Doctor smiled.

"Good, because you of all people should know the ins and outs of an inappropriate patient to doctor relationship, right." Rory put his arm around The Doctor's shoulder as they walked off down the hall together.

"You're not still holding a grudge about a mistake that happened 6 years ago are you, Rory?" The Doctor wasn't sure if Rory was saying a snide comment in jest or actually insinuating blackmail.

"No.." Rory chuckled. "But maybe just a little bit jealous that I wasn't her first doctor."


	8. The Happy Couple

Over a month of secret kisses go by before Amy is finally a free woman once again. Dr. Song had bought her a lovely white dress for her big day with a note saying she was sorry she couldn't make it. The dress was a pleated A Line skirt that went down to her mid thigh with a white bow on the back .

"You look beautiful" Rory smiled as she walked down the front steps and took his hand in hers.

"I love you" Amy hugged him.

"I love you too" Rory hugged back picking her up playfully as he did so. "Will you marry me?" He asked as he held her.

Amy smiled and kissed him passionately. "I'm already in a white dress"

"You won't be for much longer" Rory spoke with a confidence he rarely displayed.

"Is that a promise?" Amy smiled flirtatiously.

Quickly, they ran to Rory's car eager to get home and make good on their promise.

They didn't officially marry until 2 years after Amy left Pandorica but in that time they'd moved in together and started a life of their own. Rory continued his work as a nurse and Amy began to publish short stories that were slowly beginning to take off.

Rory's mother protested their upcoming nuptials at first. "I know how much you love her and I know she's been doing very well these last 2 years but that's how it was last time. She was fine and then lost her head completely out of the blue after acting normal for years. I just don't want to see you heart broken again."

"We'll be fine, mom." Rory sat at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in hand. "She said I make her better. She needs me"

"But do you need her, Rory?" His mother turned around as she poured a cup of tea for herself. "You're 21 years old. You're still young. Things can change."

Rory wouldn't budge on his decision and even though his mother had protested she came to the wedding. The Doctor also came to congratulate the happy couple. It had been so long since Amy had seen The Doctor she ran up to him and went in to plant a huge kiss on his lips but The Doctor quickly dodged it.

"Amelia, from now on I shall leave the kissing duties to the brand new Mr. Pond" The Doctor smiled as he put his arm around Rory's shoulder.

"I'm not Mr. Pond. That's not how it works" Rory rolled his eyes.

"Yeah it is" The Doctor smiled.

"Yeah it is" Rory gave in as he looked at Amy smiling at the two of them.

Amy put her arms around them both in a big group hug. "My boys" She smiled as she kissed The Doctor on the cheek and Rory on the lips.

"And we are not 'her boys' " Rory clarified as Amy walked away to speak to her wedding guests.

"Yes, we are" The Doctor smiled.

"Yes, we are" Rory gave in again as The Doctor put a reassuring hand on his shoulder again.

After six months of marriage they shared their first Christmas together. It was a glistening white Christmas as snow softly fell and glittered in the morning light. "Rory!" Amy called out excitedly as she ran down the stairs in pajamas looking very much like a grown up kid at Christmas.

"Sorry, Amy. You woke up too late; Santa's gone. You just missed him. He sends his love." Rory didn't turn around as he joked. He was busy cooking breakfast.

"Well, I might have missed Santa but I did meet a stork this morning" Amy smiled as Rory slowly turned around with his mouth agape in disbelief.

"Oh my god, Amy!" Rory ran up to hug her and kiss her "Is that your Christmas present to me?"

"Yep" Amy giggled and handed him a pair of tiny shoes.

"The watch I got you is so lame in comparison" Rory laughed excitedly. "I ... I gotta tell somebody.. I gotta call my dad." Rory grabbed the phone in the kitchen.

Rory's parents were overjoyed although his mother secretly feared the worst. Could Amy's illness be hereditary? Or worse, could her illness cause Amy to harm her child somehow?

It was on a February afternoon that Amy first saw The Silence out of the corner of her eye as she took the grocery bags out of the car. But almost as quickly as it came, it disappeared. Once in the kitchen she opened up the refrigerator to put away her milk jug when she saw it again.

The Silence was a tall creature with long fingers and gray skin. Sometimes you could hear them whisper but when you turned around to see who was talking there'd be nothing but silence.

A tall figure appeared in the corner of her eye "Amy?"

"Aah!" Amy dropped the carton of eggs. "Oh God, Rory! I'm so sorry I..." She ran to get some towels to clean the mess of yoke she'd spilled on the kitchen floor. "I thought I saw something.. I.." Amy couldn't explain it. "I don't remember what..."

Rory felt his heart drop. Amy was slipping away again. "Hey, Amy." Rory smiled as he knelt down to help her clean up. "You want to go for a walk around the lake? You can bring your sketchbook and try to draw all the new patterns in the snowflakes on the leaves in the park" Amy was quite good at sketching and Rory loved to watch her tongue peek out the corner of her mouth as she concentrated on depicting every little design she could find in the snow. It helped her when she wasn't feeling well.

"And then cocoa?!" Amy stood up excitedly.

"And then cocoa" Rory agreed.

A few sketches later and with a glass of cocoa in hand Amy was looking like she was in high spirits once again. "Hey, Rory" She smiled. Rory nodded his head yes as he sipped his cocoa while Amy continued. "I was thinking if it's a girl; I'd like to name her Melody. Melody Pond."

"What about Williams?" Rory seemed a little disappointed.

"Melody Pond Williams" Amy smiled. "Is that better?"

Rory rolled his eyes playfully. "I guess that'll do."


	9. The Silence

Months passed and Amy couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone behind her back; someone watching. But every time she turned around there was no one there. Every so often she'd catch a good look at The Silence but when she tried to tell Rory she couldn't remember what they looked like.

"It's like they edit themselves out of my memory." Amy explained.

"Well, you do remember them just not what they look like." Rory sat at the kitchen table as they talked over a cup of tea.

"I remember because I write down every time I see them" Amy took out her sketchbook and showed Rory pages and pages of tally marks. "It's the only way I won't forget."

"Ok, so why don't you try to draw a portrait of one next time? That way you won't forget what they look like." Rory suggested.

Amy took his suggestion and started drawing frantically the next time she saw one. She showed the drawing to The Doctor. "Where do you think they come from" He asked.

"Another planet, obviously" Amy rolled her eyes.

"What have they come for?" The Doctor asked as he jotted things down in his notebook.

"I don't know but they're hypnotic. They send messages subliminally." Amy explained.

"Have they sent you any messages, Amelia?" The Doctor leaned in a little in his arm chair.

"Not that I can remember. But I know I heard them whisper. It's subliminal so.. that means it's so deep in my head I don't know it's there" Amy was lying down as she spoke in a stereotypical psychiatrist couch.

The Doctor sent Dr. Song to speak with Rory. "Normally we'd put her on more medication but with her pregnancy ..." River is cut off.

"We wouldn't want to do anything to hurt the baby." Rory shook his head yes understanding the situation.

"Just keep an eye out" Dr. Song winked. "Good luck, Sweetie" She held his hand comfortingly as she left.

Amy quietly tallied her sightings and since that didn't cause much trouble it was shrugged off until Rory woke up one night to his wife screaming in the bathroom.

"Oh my god, Amy" Rory saw Amelia covered in tally marks and crying. "Amy, please" Rory held her close. "You'll be ok. No one's hurting you while I'm around. Always know no matter where you are, I'll be coming for you. You understand me? Always" Rory hugged her and placed a hand on her growing tummy. The Silence disappeared after that.

Rory had begun to worry about his wife being able to cope with motherhood. As much as he knew Amy would love her child there were times Amy forgot she was even pregnant. Even with a growing baby bump it would skip her mind now and then. Hypnotic residue from The Silence, no doubt.

"Wow, Rory. Amy's lucky to have you" Lily spoke as she ate on her lunch break with Rory and listened to his stories. He'd been confiding in her lately. She was also a nurse and they'd started doing lunch together at work ever since she started working for Pandorica.

Lily Siren was a tall and beautiful redhead very much like Amy except Amy's eyes were green and Lily's were blue. And as beautiful as Lily was; Rory felt she was missing something Amelia had. Amy had a certain soft sweetness in her eyes and in her smile that Lily never had. Lily was kind but her beauty was cold somehow. Even so, that didn't mean Rory hadn't noticed how attractive she was.

"You work all day trying to help people and you come home to more of the same?" Lily spoke to Rory in the car park one night after a long day at work. "It's great the way you take care of her. But who takes care of you, Rory?" Lily stood too close.

"Oh, who says I need taking care of?" Rory gave her a friendly smile.

"Amy's obviously smart because she chose you. Guys like you are hard to come by." Lily looked like she had Rory transfixed with her eyes and her sweet soft voice. "Maybe you don't know it because most girls have probably looked past you all your life, haven't they?"

Rory could only shake his head yes as he stood pinned against the hood of his car as Lily's hand moved over his. "Um...I..." Rory had a hard time getting the words out as Lily leaned in for a kiss locking his lips shut. He let the kiss happen for a moment before he slowly took Lily's arms in his hands and moved her back. "You're so beautiful." Rory looked Lily in her cold blue eyes. "But I love my wife." He grabbed his keys and opened his car door.

"I don't know who you think you are. Rory!" Lily's not so sweet side was showing. "You should be so lucky to have a chance with me, I mean look at you." Lily looked him over, tall and skinny and awkward. "No one says no to me, ever."

"Well, I think I just did." Rory shut the car door in her face and drove away. Lily Siren was the sort of girl who lead men to their demise with a sweet voice and a pretty face and she'd tried to hook Rory unsuccessfully. She had an explosive temper behind her sweetness but she wasn't too picky and soon found another man who 'needed taking care of'. Although Lily was going about it the wrong way; Rory understood the appeal of being needed and being the reason people feel better. It made sense they were both nurses.

Rory had started working with a new patient who was very sweet and soft spoken. She had a hard time opening up to the other nurses and began cooperating almost exclusively with Rory. Jennifer Lucas had a plain and unassuming sort of face and there was something of a childlike innocence in her eyes. But they were the eyes of a wounded child.


	10. Amy's a Lucky Girl

"When I was a little girl I got lost in the moors. I'd wandered off from the picnic" Jennifer was holding a picture of a young girl. "I remember how sore my toes got in my red welly boots" She had her back turned as she spoke but she knew Rory was standing behind her listening. "But I imagine another girl just like me in red wellies ... and she was Jennifer too. Except she was a strong Jennifer, a tough Jennifer. She'd lead me home" Jennifer looked up at the mirror in front of her.

She saw her reflection and it was Jennifer's but it also wasn't. Something was off. She saw a shell of Jennifer but she wanted so much to be the real Jennifer. She was a copy, an almost exact replica. Rory had tried to explain the idea of depersonalization to her before but even so Jennifer was having a hard time finding herself.

"I noticed your eyes right off." Jennifer smiled catching Rory's reflection standing behind her in the mirror.

"Did you?" Rory slowly walked up to her and faced her.

"Nice eyes, Kind" Jennifer took his hand in hers.

"Where's the real Jennifer?" Rory asked tentatively knowing full well the question could spark an outburst. And it did.

"I'm the real Jennifer" Jennifer stood from the edge of her bed where she'd been sitting. "I'm not a monster. I am me." Tears started to fall. "Me! Me! Me!" Jennifer beat her chest as she spoke causing Rory to grab hold of her arms for fear she could harm herself.

Jennifer looked up at him and relaxed her fists allowing him to let her go. "Why did they do this to us?" She gently rested her head on Rory's chest. "Help me, Rory"

Rory put his arms around her and comforted her until she calmed down. He was only being kind; it's like Jennifer had said. There was a kindness in him and she could see that and she clung to it. She saw him as her safety net. There had once been another Jennifer who was stronger than this one like the one in her story. But she died along with a decade's worth of painful memories. Jennifer's father paid for his crimes but a jail sentence is a small victory in comparison to the damage he'd left in his wake.

Jennifer would sometimes pretend she needed help with something just so Rory could help. She'd pretend she was too weak to open something or she'd act like a child and ask innocent questions with a sweet and juvenile ignorance. "What's that on your finger?" She smiled.

"Oh, that's my wedding ring" Rory smiled back.

"Amy's a lucky girl." Jennifer cooed.

"Yeah, she is" Rory rolled his eyes smiling playfully. Rory talked about Amy a lot. Jennifer knew about her pregnancy and how she suffered from hallucinations and at some point he'd let slip where it was that they lived. It was all completely innocent conversations and nothing anyone would have thought twice about. Jennifer was harmless really.

Jennifer was given the all clear and released from the facility after 6 weeks of treatment. Rory had been working late the last few nights and didn't leave Pandorica until 1am. As he pulled his car up to the house he saw a figure at the door. "How's there?" Rory asked as he slowly approached knowing the shadow was too short to be Amy or The Doctor.

The smell of gasoline suddenly hit him as Jennifer emerged from the shadows followed by smoke.

"What have you done?" Rory started running for the door but fire began to rise. "Amy! Amy!" Rory yelled as the flames got higher.

"Rory!" Jennifer moved him back to a safer distance.

"Why are you doing this?" Rory pushed her away.

"I thought you were on my side. We don't need them!" Jennifer tried to stop him and took his keys so he couldn't open the door. But she didn't get a hold of his phone. He tried to call the house but got no answer so he called the fire station.

"Jennifer, I wanted to help you." Rory yelled at her; his eyes filled with disappointment.

Dr. Smith pushed the front door open followed by Amy as the firefighters wrapped them in blankets. The police cuffed Jennifer and took her away. She'd misunderstood Rory's kindness and Rory felt somewhat at fault.

Suddenly Amy started wincing in pain. "What's happening, Doctor?" Amy looked up at him.

"She's having contractions" The Doctor looked up at Rory who quickly got the ambulance arriving at the scene to give them a ride.

Amy was trying to breath as Rory had instructed but she started panicking and screaming. She had to be somewhat sedated at the hospital to calm her down but she had to be awake enough to push and give birth.

Melody Pond Williams was born but her and Amy needed some supervision. It was advised that mom and baby stay at the hospital a few days just to monitor them. After three days stuck in the hospital Amy began to feel as if she'd been held captive and they wouldn't let her see her child. Until Rory finally walked in with Melody in his arms wrapped in a soft white baby blanket.

"What have they done to her?" Amy ran to him.

"She's fine. I checked. She's beautiful." Rory smiled as Amy took Melody's hand and kissed her forehead. He felt tears welling up and he tried to hold them in unsuccessfully. "Oh, God I was going to be cool. I wanted to be cool but look at me." Tears streamed down Rory's face.

Amelia laughed for the first time in days and felt such an overwhelming relief come over her. Everything was going to be ok. She knew her baby would always be safe with Rory around. "Come here you." Amy planted a passionate kiss of Rory's lips in a rather romantic display until The Doctor walked in on them.

"Oh, kissing and crying...I'll..be back in a bit" Dr. Smith slowly backed away from the door.

"Oy! You get in here now" Rory invited The Doctor to meet the baby. "My daughter. What do you think?" Rory displayed her like a very proud father.

"Hello...baby" The Doctor shook the baby's hand.

"Melody." Amy informed him.

"Melody Pond!" The Doctor shook the baby's hand again.

"Williams" Rory felt the need to add giving Dr. Smith a disapproving look.


	11. An Old Friend

After Amy and Rory brought Melody home The Doctor gave them a cot as a gift. It was handcrafted and made of wood with blue bedding. A mobile with golden stars hung above it. 

“Where did you get a cot?” Amy asked. “Doctor, did you ever have children?”

“No.” The Doctor looked a little sad as he answered. 

“But it’s old, very old” Amy said. “Who slept in here?” Amy looked as The Doctor kept silent. “Doctor, it’s our baby. Tell us something; one little thing.” 

“It’s mine” The Doctor half smiled. 

“What is?” Rory’s face grew worried. 

“The cot. It’s my cot. I slept in there” The Doctor’s words made Rory sigh with relief. Deep down he’d been worried about Amy and The Doctor spending far too much time together after the wedding. He was jealous of how close Amy’s friendship with The Doctor had grown even after their marriage. People have said Rory’s kindness was his biggest weakness but Rory knew his real weakness was his insecurity. 

All was well for the first month with baby Melody until Amy noticed something wrong with her child. “Rory!!” She screamed. Rory came running downstairs to find Amy crying as she held her baby. “She’s not real.” She cried. “They took our baby away” 

Rory’s heart sank to his stomach. She was losing grip again. Rory called The Doctor for help but when he came Amy refused to listen to him. She blamed him for the loss of her child but Dr. Smith figured Melody would be safer with her grandparents for the time being. Amy only allowed Rory to come into her room. He persuaded Amy to allow Dr. Song to speak to her. 

“The Doctor will care for your daughter, whatever it takes. And I know that.” River took Amy’s hand in hers and handed Amy a green silk cloth with her daughter’s name embroidered on it in gold. “Your daughter will come back to you” She smiled. 

That night while Rory was working the night shift at a new nursing job in Leadworth Hospital; Amy got a visit from an old friend. 

“Hello, Amy” A tall young woman with black curls and a leather jacket rested against Amy’s bedroom doorway with her arms crossed. 

“Melody?” Amy was astonished as an excited smile came over her face. “Where were you?” 

“I would have come sooner but... I don’t do weddings” Melody walked up to her and sat on the bed next to Amy.   
“We were roommates at school and then you disappeared. Why did you leave me?” Amy looked confused and a little bit sad. 

“You named your daughter after me” Melody smiled. 

“You were my friend.” Amy smiled. 

“Amy?” Dr. Song’s voice came from downstairs. “Just checking in, Sweetie.”

“Ok sure” Amy looked over to see Melody had disappeared again. 

“How are you, Darling?” River Song leaned against her doorway with her arms crossed just as Melody had done. 

“Umm, I’m fine.” Amy wasn’t about to tell River anything. 

“You look well” River smiled. 

“Yeah, I’m doing well” Amy did her best to act like she was supposed to. 

“Come down to the kitchen and we’ll talk over a cup of tea. What do you say?” Dr. Song’s blonde curls shook as she tilted her head. 

“Sounds good.” Amy followed her down to the kitchen. 

They carried on with idle chit chat about the weather and other sorts of average topics until they hit a silent point and simply sipped the last of their tea. Amy broke the silence. 

“I know everyone thinks I’m not good.” Amy looked down into her teacup as she spoke. “For a while there I even fooled myself into believing I could be normal. We had a good run, didn’t we?” Amy slowly swirled her teacup in her hands. 

“Don’t give up so easy” River extended her hand across the table and held Amy’s hand. “I’ve been watching you grow up since you were 8 years old and in the 14 years I’ve known you I know that you are more than this. You’re more than your monsters, Amy.” 

They shared a big hug before Dr. Song walked out to her car. Amy turned off the lights to get ready for bed but she peeked through her blinds to watch River leave. She saw The Doctor get out of her car. Dr. Song kissed him passionately on the lips. Amy was shocked by the revelation and even after all this time she was vaguely jealous. 

“You never told me he was hot” Melody appeared behind Amy making her jump back. “How old is he, 40?”  
“Yeah” Amy answered her. 

“I still would” Melody winked. “Wouldn’t you?”

“I chose Rory” Amy started feeling the need to defend herself. “Leave me alone!” 

“Amy?” Rory’s worried voice came from downstairs. Amelia ran down the stairs to meet him and greeted him with a big hug. 

“I’m so glad you’re home” Amy squeezed him tight. 

“I thought I heard you yelling.” Rory took her face in his hands and gently caressed her cheek. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah, everything’s fine.” Amy smiled. She never saw her old friend Melody again but her real Melody was never far and they visited her at her grandparent’s house whenever possible. After a year of battling for approval; Amelia was deemed fit to care for Melody on her own. And a few days after Melody’s second birthday; they got news that a second child was on the way. The family was over the moon with excitement. 

“I think it’s a boy” Amy smiled. She painted a large cupboard a deep cerulean blue for the child’s room. But then it started; the sharp pains in her stomach only 4 months in. She’d hardly started showing. The doctor at the hospital said she could never have children again. 

It was a few months after her loss that Amy found herself in George’s room tucking him in goodnight. She kept a blue night light on for him. The poor boy was afraid of everything. He put all the things he didn’t like in the blue cupboard Amy had made for him.


	12. Letting Go

"George thinks you love Melody more and it hurts him that you don't accept him as your own." Amy got angry at Rory for how he avoided George at all costs.

"No, Amy! He's not real!" Rory was losing his patience. He could deal with imaginary friends and make believe monsters but he couldn't deal with this. "We have no son, Amy!" Rory grabbed Amy's shoulders. "I can't watch you talk to our dead son like he still exists, Amy. It hurts too much. I can't..." Rory released his grip on Amy's shoulders as he heard Melody crying upstairs. "I have to go." Rory wiped the tears that were beginning to fall down from his face. "If you need me I'll be upstairs taking care of our real daughter."

Amy was devastated as she paced frantically around the living room. She'd done it again and she hated herself for it. She silently cried a little and hid her screams in a pillow before going back upstairs to her bedroom. She passed by George's room and he wasn't there anymore. Amy promised herself she'd give the things in his room away to the shelter as soon as possible. She had to start letting go of the things holding her back.

"Rory?" Amy sounded uncharacteristically shy as she peeked through the bedroom door.

"Yeah?" Rory was stepping out of the bathroom as he spoke with his back turned to Amy. He tousled his damp hair in a towel.

"I love you" Amy said as she walked in.

Rory turned around and smiled back at her. Amy didn't say those words often so he loved it when she did all the more. "Amy, I'm sorry I got angry at you. I shouldn't have lost my temper." He walked up to her and took her hand in his. "You're so beautiful" Rory ran his hand softly down Amy's face. "You going to call that modeling agency back? I truly think you'd be a natural for the job"

Amy had been stopped on the street several times not only because of her rising fame as a writer but for her stunning looks. She was statuesque with long red hair and ivory skin. She'd run into a talent scout by happenstance while shopping and she blew him away with her beauty and her wit. "You really think I could do it?!" Amy's big green eyes widened with excitement.

Rory laughed. "You kidding me? You know how many times I've been stopped and asked how a guy like me landed a supermodel?" Rory was serious. He'd gotten that question many times. In all their years together there was always someone ready to point out how far out of his league Amy was.

Amelia Pond became an official model for the agency and she quickly started gaining even more popularity as she booked gigs left and right. It filled Rory with a mixture of pride and unease. He was so proud to see Amy doing so well after everything they'd gone through but so insecure in their relationship that he started listening in on her sessions with Dr. Smith when he visited their home.

"I've been getting a lot of fan mail lately. A lot of marriage proposals." Amy laughed as she spoke with The Doctor. "Sorry, I'm happily taken. Thanks"

"All those boys chasing you but it was only ever Rory. Why is that?" The Doctor asked. Hearing that question made Rory a little upset. Not just because The Doctor questioned Amy's love for Rory but because deep down Rory feared her response.

"You know when sometimes you meet someone so beautiful and then you actually talk to them and five minutes later they're as dull as a brick? Then there's other people, when you meet them you think they're not bad. They're okay. And then you get to know them and..." Amy smiled as she thought of him "And their face just sort of becomes them. Like their personality's written all over it. And they just turn into something so beautiful." Amy looked down at the ground and smiled as she blushed. "Rory's the most beautiful man I've ever met."

Rory felt stupid for having worried so much but glad he got to hear her say that out loud. Amy avoided being too sentimental whenever possible. After being told your whole life that you're crazy for feeling the way you feel; you start to hold everything inside for fear of looking too over-emotional. He promised himself not to listen in on her again and to trust her more. It was the least he could do. Especially now that he knew how much Amy trusted him. He had to start letting go of his fear. After all they'd been through; what was left to be scared of?

Amy's modeling career started taking her away from home for weeks at a time as she traveled the world touring with fashion shows. This left Rory taking care of Melody on his own. "We have an extra room you can stay in and everything. It'd just be for a few weeks tops. We'll compensate you as best we can, I promise" Rory struggled to hold his wiggling 3 year old in his arms.

"It's no problem at all." Rita smiled. "I know what it's like working those long shifts at the hospital" Rita Afzal was a fellow nurse who promised to become a temporary resident to help take care of things.

"Hello! I'm The Doctor" Dr. Smith extended his hand to greet her. "Dr. John Smith" He added realizing he was using the name Amy had given him.

"Rita Afzal" Rita smiled back as she shook his hand.

"Afzal...?" The Doctor thought the name sounded familiar.

"Yes, I'm Muslim. Don't be frightened" Rita quipped before anyone else got the chance.

"Oh, why should I be frightened?" The Doctor sipped his tea as the point of the joke completely went over his head.

Dr. Smith's ignorance on the matter made Rita chuckle as they shared some tea in the kitchen. They really hit it off and The Doctor even joked about firing his assistant and asking Rita to work for him instead. He was in his 40's but he could flirt with a young woman along with the best of them. But Dr. Song was just as good at flirting as he was. In fact it almost seemed like they purposely held contests between the two of them to see who was a better flirt. Rita also found The Doctor quite intriguing and he came to visit even when Amy wasn't home. 


	13. Do You Believe in Hell?

Although Amy was loving the spotlight; the job was beginning to run her ragged. She jumped from hotel rooms to runways to airports almost nonstop for days and days at a time. After weeks of hopping around the globe; she was finally on her way home.

Her heels clicked away as she quickly walked through the London City Airport DLR station to catch the next train. That's when she felt something sneak into the corner of her eye. A familiar but long forgotten figure. Amy flinched a little as she took a seat on the train. She couldn't quite remember what it was she'd seen but she knew something wasn't right. She knew she couldn't trust her own mind. Amy took out her mobile to call Rory. In the reflection of the train's window she saw it; a tall gray figure. The shock made her drop her phone.

"Oh, let me help you with that." A businessman type noticed her drop her phone as she fiddled with her purse and he picked it up for her.

"Thank you" Amy smiled flirtatiously but her hands were shaking. They were coming back for her. The train was filled with The Silence. She dialed Rory's number. "God, Rory! I've missed you so much!"

"How are you!? We've missed you too" Rory's smile could be heard in his voice.

"Hello, Sweetie"

"Glorious Pond!"

"Hello!"

"Mama"

Everyone yelled at once in the background.

"I've got you on speaker" Rory had to yell over everyone else trying to speak.

"No way. Didn't notice." Amy laughed. "Can't wait to get home! I'm so incredibly tired. I'll see you all soon!" Amy smiled as she heard everyone say their goodbyes simultaneously.

She was so tired. That had to have been what it was that had her jumping at shadows before. She was just overworked and needed a good nap and a few weeks vacation. They weren't back; they couldn't be. She thought she'd defeated The Silence. Amy closed her eyes in hopes of catching a break on the train but as she fell asleep she saw the crack in her wall shining bright behind her eyes. She sprang out of her seat as she reached her destination. What a nightmare. Amy hadn't seen that crack in her wall since she was 8 years old. 16 years later and Prisoner Zero was still trying to escape.

First thing Amy did when she got home was hold her baby girl. "Do you remember me, Melody?" Amy smiled as she hugged her tight.

"Mommy!" Melody spoke some jumble of almost words at her mother. Amy laughed at Melody's baby words that didn't make any sense at all but it sure meant something to Mels.

"Oh, you don't say?" Amy spoke back as if she understood her daughter's half sentences and make believe words.

"Wiwa" Melody pointed up at Rita as she walked into Melody's room

"Thanks for all your help." Amy put Melody back down into her crib.

"It's no problem at all." Rita smiled. "I just put the kettle on if you'd like to join me"

They chit chatted at the kitchen table over tea for a good 30 minutes before Rita looked up at the time. "Well, I guess you don't really need me around here anymore so..."

"You don't have to go." Amy stopped herself from sounding too desperate for company. "Rory's at work and The Doctor is busy with other things so.. I mean, I'm not asking you to stay forever as a live in nanny. I know you have a job too." She laughed.

"No, It's fine." Rita smiled back. "I just didn't want you to think I was cutting in on your time." There was a quiet pause before Rita added. "So, The Doctor... everyone seems to call Dr. Smith THE Doctor. Why is that?"

"I called him that from the day I met him. It just stuck." Amy paused for a moment not sure if she ought to bring it up but she was curious. "How much do you know about me?"

"Well... if I may be completely honest; I think I know almost everything about you" Rita laughed. "Rory and The Doctor gush over you nonstop."

"I've been seeing a crack in my wall." Amelia began to explain. "It was something I used to see when I was little and it spoke to me. That's when The Doctor showed up to fix it and we all thought he had but now it's back and it's ripping time apart."

Rita realized Amy was falling into a minor episode but being a nurse herself she stayed level headed. "The Doctor told me about that. Has it spoken to you again?"

"No, it's just been blinding me with this light and letting The Silence in." Amy spoke as she looked into her teacup. "Do you believe in hell?"

"I believe in Jahannam, yes" Rita looked into Amy's eyes. "What do you believe in?"

"I believe in The Doctor." Amy looked over at the pills sitting in a transparent bottle on the kitchen counter. "He protects me and he's everything to me" Amy stood up and poured a glass of water for herself as she opened her medication bottle.

"What does Rory believe in?" Rita mentioned Rory feeling like Amy had been leaving him out.

"He's an atheist." Amy placed a pill in her mouth and took a big swig of her medication. "He doesn't believe in anything. Which is really unfair because the minotaur doesn't affect him."

"What?" Rita was lost.

"It feeds off faith. I used to think it fed off fear but it feeds on faith, sucking you in." Amy finished her water. "The Doctor says I depend on him too much. I have too much faith in him."

"He's a brilliant man and I know he'll always be looking out for you but no one's completely infallible." Rita smiled as she stood up and placed a gentle hand on Amy's shoulder. "I'll be going now. I pray you find peace."

"Thanks" Amy smiled.


	14. Amy Felt Everything

The crack in the wall started closing again as she spent more time with The Doctor but The Silence was always nearby. She could see them everywhere and this time she didn't forget them when she turned around. They were in her mind always. Amy dealt with The Silence on her own. She didn't tell Rory or Melody when she saw them.

Months into Amy's silence she received a letter in the mail. It came in a deep blue envelope. It was an invitation to a wedding. The Doctor and River Song were finally tying the knot.

"I thought she didn't do weddings." Amy smirked as she showed the invitation to Rory.

"Maybe turning 50 made her realize it was time to officially settle down." Rory chuckled. "I'm happy for them. It took long enough."

"Yeah." Amy smiled but spent the rest of the afternoon fighting a headache. All she could hear was the neighbor's lawn mowers running for what seemed like hours. Amy closed her eyes as she drank her tea in the kitchen trying to cure her headache when she saw Rory walk in with a Silence coming up right behind him. It was gearing up so kill him. It was going to silence him forever.

Without a second thought Amy threw her mug and it shattered on the wall right behind Rory leaving a small scratch on his cheek as it shattered everywhere. Rory simply stood in awestruck silence with his mouth agape. Never had Amy caused him any physical harm before, unintentionally or otherwise.

"I was trying to save you" Amy looked at Rory's confused and shocked expression. "I came back for you."

"Back from where, Amy?" Rory tried to hide the anger in his voice.

"The Silence was coming for you" Amy had a tear in her eye.

"Not this again" Rory whispered aloud to himself. He ran up to Amy and knelt beside her as she sat in the chair by the kitchen table. "Are they gone now?"

"Yeah." Amy wiped a tear from her cheek. "But I killed her in cold blood. What does that make me?"

Rory wasn't sure what she meant. He heard small footsteps approaching. "Mommy?" He heard Melody calling.

"No, wait!" Rory stood up quickly blocking his three year old from entering the kitchen filled with broken shards of coffee mug all over the floor. "I'm sorry, sweetie but mom dropped something and now the floor is very sharp. It's very dangerous. We're cleaning it up to make it all safe for you, ok?"

"Ok.." Mels walked away with her teddy bear in hand.

Amy sat catatonic as Rory grabbed a broom and started sweeping up the mess. Rory had dealt with a great deal of strange outbursts but noticing the blood running down his cheek and the possibility that this outburst could have hurt his daughter started giving him anxiety. He could feel his chest growing heavier as he held back his tears. How he wished he could sit still and feel nothing like Amy was.

But it wasn't that she felt nothing. Amy felt everything. That's what kept her from moving.

Later that night Rory invited The Doctor over to talk not just to Amy but to him as well. "I'm worried, Doctor." Rory sat across from him on the living room couch while Amy was upstairs asleep in bed. "I accommodate everything in my life for her. She's everything to me but now Melody is also everything to me. She almost put her in danger. Had Melody walked in a few moments sooner..." Rory pointed to the scratch on his cheek. "Granted it wasn't that serious but enough to make me wonder. Do I love Amy because I want to help her or because I'm a glutton for punishment. I chose this. I put myself in this situation. Am I a masochist or what?"

"No, I don't think so." The Doctor chuckled a bit. "I do think you're too kind for your own good."

"So I'm not a masochist. Just a doormat. Ok, good." Rory rolled his eyes.

"I wouldn't say that" The Doctor moved from his chair to sit down beside Rory.

"Really, Doctor?" Rory questioned him. "I would be willing to do anything for Amy. Anything she asked me to do I would do it for her no matter what it was. If she asked me to hide a body for her I would."

"You stood up to her when she was having her delusions about George." The Doctor pointed out.

"Yeah, I guess I'm not a complete pushover." Rory smiled.

"Only a little" The Doctor nudged him playfully.

"Nice" Rory laughed. After all the feelings of jealousy he used to have for The Doctor's close relationship to his wife; he was starting to feel to Rory like a real friend. It started making him think that he'd do anything for The Doctor too. Rory was really too nice for his own good.

"So... you're alright then, yeah?" The Doctor smiled as he put a reassuring hand on Rory's shoulder.

"I'm fine." Rory smiled sheepishly at the ground. "We've been through a lot together, haven't we?"

"And all for Amelia's sake" Dr. Smith stood up slowly. "She's bewitched the both of us, Rory."

Everyday leading up to the wedding of River Song was a toss up when it came to Amy. Somedays she was perfectly fine and other days she simply sat there unresponsive as if she didn't remember who Rory was again.

In her mind, Amy was looking for him but she just couldn't find him. She could feel him near but she kept missing him. She stared out the window for hours until she felt Rory was behind her but when she finally turned around he was gone. There was a bottle of pills on the table beside her with a glass of water and little white flowers. The white sweet clovers Melody always picked from her grandfather's garden. Amy's mind had her prisoner but she knew they were still near her. She could feel it.


	15. The Doctor Lies

Amy was in high spirits and back to her regular charming self in time for the wedding of River Song and The Doctor. She wore a black silk gown and a smile so bright she looked as if she were emitting a natural glow that reflected off her porcelain skin. The Doctor had decided on a brown tweed suit and a dark blue bow tie for his wedding attire. He never quite got the hang of fashion the way Amy did.

"You look rubbish" Amy smiled playfully as she leaned up against the doorframe.

"You look wonderful" The Doctor returned her playful attitude with his own.

"God, I've missed you" Amy ran up and hugged him tight.

The Doctor noticed the thin silk strap of Amy's gown draped over her shoulder fall and slip ever so delicately down her arm. "Where's the husband?" Dr. Smith asked almost as if he needed to remind himself there was one nearby.

"Rory?" Amy asked as she put the strap of her gown back up on her shoulder. "I have no idea. I can't find him. I love him very much" Amy went into her purse and pulled out a sketchbook to show him a drawing she'd made of him.

"Apparently" The Doctor smiled noticing Amy took a few liberties with her sketch and made Rory look far more handsome than he actually looked. But Amy's love for him let her see him for how he truly was. It wasn't something you could see with your eyes alone but Amy didn't see things the way everyone else did.

"I have to keep doing this." Amy flipped through the pages to show The Doctor the scribbles she'd written and the drawings she'd made. "Writing and drawing things." Some of Amy's words and pictures were difficult to decipher but it was her way of getting things out of her system. Besides, sometimes it lead to great ideas for new books and her publishers loved that.

Amy walked out of The Doctor's dressing room and ran into Dr. Song in the hallway. "Hello, River" Amy said with a smile as she fixed the falling shoulder strap of her dress again.

"What were you doing in there?" River smiled concealing her growing rage.

"Oh, just talking" Amy shrugged. "You haven't seen Rory anywhere, have you?" She looked over River's shoulder.

"Are you hiding?" River joked but something in her eyes turned cold.

"No, no... just... wondering" Amy walked off oblivious to Dr. Song's growing bitterness.

Amy got to the end of the hall before she heard the loud pop of a gun going off. Amy ran back to The Doctor's room to find River pointing a gun at him. Rory came running from the other end of the hall with Melody.

"You all need to stay back." The Doctor ordered. "Whatever happens do not interfere."

The 3 Ponds look back in wide eyed amazement and confusion.

"Am I the woman who marries you or the woman who murders you?" River cocked her gun.

"I don't want to marry you." The Doctor replied.

"And I don't want to murder you" River smiled.

"Well, this is no fun at all" The Doctor joked facetiously

"It isn't, is it?" Dr. Song replied with an equally sarcastic bite in her voice.

Rory slowly took a step forward and stood in front of his wife and daughter. "River, please." He slowly extended his hand. "You don't want to do this. Just hand me the gun, River."

A tear fell down River's face. "You've put so much trust in The Doctor, haven't you? The Doctor lies"

"No!" Amy ran towards The Doctor and River but Rory held her back.

"Mommy!" Melody screamed as River shot The Doctor.

"No! No!" Amy was fighting to break free from her husband's arms. "Doctor!" She screamed. Amy felt Melody wrap her arms around her leg and she stood in place allowing Rory to hold her back for her safety.

"I'm sorry" The Doctor whispered through labored breaths as he faded away.

Melody ran towards The Doctor's body quickly followed by Rory in a failed effort to hold her back. Amy knelt down beside her daughter next to The Doctor's motionless body. "River!" She screamed through her tears.

Others quickly ran into the room and the police was called along with an ambulance. River was taken away in handcuffs and The Doctor unresponsive on a stretcher. It was a miracle he survived.

Rory visited River in prison in search for an answer. She'd been a part of his life since he was just a kid but he hardly knew her.

"I'm trying not to be angry." Rory spoke through the glass window dividing them. "But you shot my friend and ... Melody... she's having nightmares now because us you." Angry tears began to fall from his eyes. "If there wasn't a wall between us ..." He balled his hands into fists and swallowed his rage.

"I've watched you grow up from a sweet little boy into a wonderful father and I'm so sorry Rory." River looked down as she spoke. "She's a beautiful girl, your daughter." Slowly Dr. song raised her eyes to meet Rory's "If she's your daughter."

"What?" Rory's steely blue eyes burned with a growing rage that was beginning to bubble up to the surface. "You've really lost your mind, haven't you?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know the truth hurts but..." Dr. Song is interrupted.

"Shut up!" Rory stood up and punched the glass between them. Police quickly surrounded him. "I'm sorry." Rory whispered as he put his hands up in surrender. "I'm leaving.. I'm leaving.." He slowly walked away.

Rory kept it all to himself. He didn't approach Amy or The Doctor to discuss River's insinuation. The Doctor would call on occasions with reports on how we was doing. Once out of hospital Dr. Smith took a bit of a round the world in 80 days sort of trip. Everytime he called he was somewhere new. Facing death and a fast approaching 50th birthday can make some men want to run.


	16. Scared and Alone

After months of traveling The Doctor came back to Leadworth and realized he had nowhere else to go but The Pond's home. He'd sold his old place. It had too many things that reminded him of River. The woman who'd been his colleague and lover for 25 years had tried to kill him. He promised The Pond family it would just be for a little while.

They knew Dr. Smith was brilliant and slightly eccentric. But they weren't ready for a disoriented and sleep deprived Doctor barging into their bedroom in the middle of the night.

"Ah! Stop everything!" The Doctor saw he'd walked in on them and covered his eyes with his hand. They were dressed, bearly.

"There's a rule about the bedroom" Rory tried to calmly explain something that he figured was common knowledge.

"Popped in the wrong door. Pretend I was never here. Sleep well" Dr. Smith closed the door behind him and 5 minutes later they heard the toilet down the hall flush.

It seemed as if The Doctor never slept. He kept the strangest hours and although they had the spare bedroom for him; it went virtually untouched. He also had a terrible habit of not locking the door to the toilet when it was in use. Both Rory and Amy had accidently opened the door on him. For someone who spent his time studying human behaviour; he went around the house as if domestic living were some sort of alien idea to him. Although he was an odd house guest he at least did a lot of cleaning chores for them.

Amy got the sneaking suspicion that The Doctor was never human at all. Maybe he'd come from outer space like The Silence had. She'd thought she'd caught him once or twice in his true form but when she looked again he looked just like a human. Amy was surprised it had taken her so long to notice. His eyes would glow bright yellow sometimes.

Nearly a month and a half after living with The Ponds, The Doctor found his own place but he'd swing by often. At first every other day but then if became more like every other month. The Doctor would call but no one would answer. He wasn't even sure if he could consider himself Amy's psychiatrist anymore. Since no one picked up the phone he decided to stop by the house for the first time in months and no one was home. "I popped around but you were out" Dr. Smith left a message on the answering machine.

Amy never saw the messages. She looked all the time but the answering machine always said it had no messages. In fact, the machine had loads of messages. So many that it wouldn't accept anymore. Amy was working as a travel journalist after the blog of her travels around the world as a model really took off. When she finally got home from her trips she'd arrive to an empty house and wait for someone to save her. She kept a brave face but she was scared and alone.

It had been her fault. Amy pushed Rory away on purpose. She loved him but she wasn't good enough for him. Amy knew he needed someone better. He needed someone who could be a good mother and give him a big family like he'd always wanted. She had another miscarriage a few months prior and that's when it started. That's when she decided to let him go.

Rory put up a fuss about it of course but even he couldn't handle her moods anymore and left with Melody in hand. Melody was 4 years old but understood her mother was different. Rory would try to explain that Amy loved her but she just wasn't feeling well. Amy refused to speak to Melody over the phone and kept her conversations with Rory very short. Rory signed his half of the divorce papers with a heavy heart.

Amy preoccupied herself with work to avoid speaking to Rory or Melody but after one of her photoshoots her assistant reluctantly broke the news to her knowing about the rift between them. "Um, your husband is here."

"I don't have a husband" Amy walked past him all heavy black eyeliner and leather from her photoshoot.

"Apparently you still do" Amy's assistant signaled to the door of her dressing room where Rory was sitting in one of her make up chairs.

"You need to sign these" Rory slowly spun around in the makeup chair with an uncharacteristic coldness in his eyes.

"And then we're not married?" Amy quickly grabbed the papers and signed them.

"Just like magic" Rory rolled his eyes.

Amy handed him back the signed papers. "Can't chat, working" She fixed her hair in the mirror.

"Really?" Rory stood up from the makeup chair. "I thought you were just pouting at a camara" Rory walked out quickly and nearly ran into Amy's make up artist. Rory rode the bus home and stared out the window. He'd never felt more furious with Amy in all his life. Even so, he loved her. Which made him even angrier. He just couldn't let her go.

"You're 26 years old. You're still so young, Rory. You've got your whole life ahead of you." His mother tried to cheer him up unsuccessfully.

"You're not going to say 'I told you so'?" Rory shot her a cold look.

"Be nice to your mother!" Rory's father could be heard from the other room.

"Look who finally decides to join the conversation." Rory's mother yelled back.

"I know you're trying to help, mom" Rory stood up and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm just going to go check on Mels, ok?" Rory slowly opened the door to the bedroom she'd been sleeping in at her grandparent's house. She was safe and sound in bed. Rory thought of calling The Doctor but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Rory figured if he was going to leave Amy's world for good he'd have to say goodbye to The Doctor too.


	17. Tenth Floor

Amy was officially a superstar in her own right. Her writing and modelling career had skyrocketed and she was never without an entourage of people in charge of her image.

"Can I have a glass of water, please" Amy extended her hand without looking away from the mirror.

"We need water over here!" Clara yelled. "Her hand is empty and she's thirsty! Let's move people" Clara walked around the set. "No, sorry this color's all wrong. You have to take it back." She went into her trailer and turned up her radio.

"Carmen, lovely show" Dr. Smith admired Clara's musical tastes from the doorway.

"I don't believe we've met. Clara Oswin, Junior Entertainment Manager" Clara extended her hand to the stranger. "And you are?"

"Dr. John Smith, Senior Opera Enthusiast." The Doctor shook her hand. "I'm sorry I thought this was Amy's trailer."

"Are you a fanboy?" Clara raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"I'm her friend." The Doctor clarified. "And her psychiatrist."

"Oh, thank god!" Clara was suddenly glad to see him. "Doesn't she look mad to you?" Clara walked out of the trailer and pointed at Amy walking onto the set with a scowl on her face. "I only just met her but I'd been told she's a joy to work with. Obviously something isn't right." Clara heard a crash. "Great, duty calls" She ran down to the set. "It broke? Well, get some masking tape and fix it. See, what did I tell you about the color. This is so much better."

The Doctor waited for the shoot to finish before catching Amy at the right trailer this time. "Is there anything you want to tell me?" He sat with his legs crossed on an armchair with a very psychologist interrogation type of look.

"Are we going to do this now?" Amy rolled her eyes.

"Well, what's happened?" The Doctor looked concerned.

"Stuff." Amy sat at her make up chair and looked at The Doctor from the mirror's reflection. "Rory and I split up. What can you do?"

"Amy I know you and I know you love him" The Doctor was worried.

"That has nothing to do with it." Amy stood up and walked back out. "If you don't mind I need to get back to work." Amy stormed out.

The Doctor called Rory in hopes of them all talking together for a marriage counseling session.

"We both signed the papers. She wants it to be over. I don't know why but she doesn't love me anymore." Rory's voice was sad but cold like he was too tired to cry. "Let it go, Doctor"

"No, I need you to meet me here now. We have to fix this" The Doctor didn't tell Amy he'd invited Rory. Rory agreed reluctantly and made his way to the building where they were holding the photoshoot. He got into the lift just as the woman inside it held the door open for him. They were on the tenth floor when the lift stopped working. It was stuck and completely out of power. There was nothing but a blinking red light in the darkness.

"I'm Oswin" Clara broke the tense silence. "What do I call you?"

"Uhh.. Rory" In a moment of panic he'd almost forgotten his name.

"Lovely name, Rory. First boy I ever fancied was named Rory." Clara smiled.

"Ok." Rory was still a bit too panicked to have a conversation.

"Actually she was called Nina. I was going through a faze." Clara joked. "Just flirting to keep things cheerful."

Just then the elevator made a sudden drop. No more than a foot and a half but enough to make Rory's heart skip a beat. "Ok, anytime you want to start flirting again is fine by me."

Clara tried to see if she could see through the crack between the lift's doors but they were shut tight. She could hear a tapping coming from the outside. "Hello?" She called out but there was no answer. "Might as well get comfortable." Clara sat down.

Rory found a button for emergency calls and pressed it somewhat frantically. A recorded message came on followed by an operator. "What's your emergency?"

"We're stuck in this elevator and it keeps making this terrible tapping noise like either someone's trying to get in or like something is breaking. We're somewhere near the 10th floor" Rory was trying to remain calm. The operator said help was on the way.

"Ok, you're safe now" Clara smiled. "Now pop your shirt off quick as you like."

Rory took his jacket off before realizing he was following a strange woman's orders to undress. "Why?" He gave her a look.

"Does there have to be a reason?" Clara smiled flirtatiously. Rory rolled his eyes remembering he'd told her to flirt with him again anytime. It was helping him feel more relaxed but in the back of his mind it almost felt like cheating. The papers had been signed by both parties but he hadn't turned them in yet.

Outside Clara and Rory heard screaming. Clara bit her lip and covered her ears. Her initial confident exterior was fraying. Rory put his hand on the metal door and it felt cold. "I don't feel anything but maybe the lift isn't working because there's a fire." Rory hypothesized.

Then the sound of gunfire rang out. "That doesn't sound like fire to me." Clara walked up to the buttons on the inside of the lift and opened up the electrical box underneath.

"What are you doing?" Rory watched as Clara started messing with the wiring.

"I'm getting us out of here, Nina" Clara joked as she got the lift to start moving again.

"What?" Rory was dumbfounded. "How did you know what to do?"

"Is there a word for total screaming genius that's modest and a little bit sexy?" Clara smiled. "Hold on I'm looking for the door thingy." She went back to the wires and opened the door.

Rory ran out into a pitch black hallway. "Amy?!" He cried out and took a little torch out of his pocket.


	18. I Love You More Than You Love Me

Amy walked down the darkened corridors and didn't see anyone. Everyone had run away from the fire and left her behind. She didn't know who had tried to attack the building but she swore she saw them. She heard their robotic voices echoing down the halls. "Is this real?" She whispered unsure of whether she could trust herself or not.

"Amy?!" The Doctor found her slowly walking into a charred room. "We have to find Rory" The Doctor took Amy's hand as they ran down the corridor to a flight of stairs.

"Rory's here?!" Amy was suddenly worried. They saw a light at the end of the hall.

"Amy?" The familiar voice called out to them. Rory ran down the hall towards them. "Doctor, there's someone in that lift. She opened the door for me but it closed back up on her. We called for help but I think we should go back for her."

"I'm sure help will come soon. You two go downstairs to safety and wait for me." The Doctor ran down the hall back to the lift.

A sudden sharp pain made Amy double over and whince. Rory held her "What is it?!"

"I'm fine." Amy lied. "Don't touch me" She was afraid if he touched her that her heart would melt and she'd want him to stay. She was trying to set him free but he kept coming back.

Rory saw Amy's wrist was broken and bleeding. "Give me your arm" Rory sounded quite demanding as he took out a little first aid kit from his jacket pocket. He took out some bandaging gauze. "Amy, give me your arm. I need to stop the bleeding." He tried to take her arm but she kept pulling away from him "I understand, Amy. I think deep down we've both always known."

"What?" Amy glared at him.

"Basic fact of our relationship is that I love you more than you love me." Rory had never sounded so cold.

"How can you say that?" Amy was growing increasingly infuriated and angry tears began to fill her eyes.

"Say it isn't true. You know it's true. Now give me your arm, Amy!" Rory went to grab her again.

Amy slapped him across the face with her good arm. "Don't you dare say that to me. Don't you dare!" The tears began to stream down her face.

"Amy, you kicked me out!" Rory was now holding back tears as well.

"You want kids. You have always wanted kids ever since you were a kid and now I can't have them!" Amy was sobbing.

Rory understood now what was happening and he felt his heart breaking just when he thought it couldn't break anymore. "I know..." He whispered.

"I didn't kick you out. I gave you up." Amy's tears were filled with so much sorrow and rage that Rory could hardly get his words out.

"Amy.. I don't.. Just give me your arm." Rory tried to reach for her but she kept fighting back. "Give me your arm!"

"Don't touch me!" Amy yelled back. They'd had fights before but this was a screaming match. They never fought like that. It was always cold and quiet silent treatments before. They were finally bursting at the seams with what they really had to say.

Rescue came and took everyone they could to the hospital. They said it was some sort of massive electrical fire but Amy swore it was some sort of planned attack. Amy's broken wrist would keep her arm in a sling for a few weeks but she was fine besides that. Some died in the fire and some wish they had.

"Does it look real to you" The Doctor looked at Clara.

"Does what look real?" Clara looked around. She was in her kitchen safe and sound.

"Where are you right now? Does it seem real?" The Doctor's eyes grew worried.

"It is real" Clara seemed to be getting angry.

"You dreamed it for yourself because the truth was too terrible." The Doctor's words brought her to reality and she saw what she was. She was strapped to a machine for life support and her body was destroyed. She'd lost her legs and she was severely burned. Her pretty face was gone. She cried and screamed when she saw the truth. The Doctor wished there was something he could have done to save her.

Amy and Rory went back home together. She stood at the doorway and gave him a look, bedroom eyes. Rory looked back with that same intense hunger in his eyes. Amy smiled and walked inside the house. Rory was allowed back in. He did a celebratory dance when he thought Amy had closed the door behind her.

"I can see you" Amy smiled.

"Ok.." Rory quickly stopped dancing and ran back inside.

It took a little time but the Ponds were slowly coming back together. It started with weekly visits which turned into bi-weekly visits which turned into overnight visits. And before either of them knew it they were officially living together again. Melody was turning 5 and she was overjoyed to have her mother back again.

"Mummy! I'm starting school soon!" Melody reminded her mother.

"I know. Don't think I forgot about you." Amy smiled as she spoke but she was hiding an internal scream. She didn't want to see her daughter slipping away from her. Rory had to push her into spending time with her mother. Amy could see how attached Melody had become to her father in Amy's absence. She wondered what sort of terrible things Melody heard from Rory's parents while she was living with them.

Amy was able to bond with her daughter over her storytelling and Melody was very interested in emulating her mother's fashion shows. Amy would catch her daughter trying on her clothes and her lipstick. Some mother's might have been upset by it but Amy loved it and even encouraged it. Playing dress up and make believe was Amy's strong suit and it was the best way she could bond with her daughter. She knew Rory was better at this whole parenting thing but she wanted to do her part.


	19. As Well As Amy Can Be

Amy was trying to be a good mother and a good wife to her husband so she did her best to ignore the black boxes that kept appearing everywhere she went. She saw them littered in the streets, on people's desks at work and even in her daughters bedroom. Amy was afraid they might be dangerous. They were jet black boxes just a little larger than the palm of your hand. They didn't do anything; they just sat there.

"Look at you!" Dr. Smith extended his arms to hug his old friend. "The Journalist and The Nurse. All grown up" The Doctor was feeling rather old. His Amy was undeniably an adult. "You wanted to talk to me about something?" He asked.

"I keep seeing these" Amy handed him her sketchbook to show The Doctor her drawings of the cubes.

"How long?" The Doctor asked examining the photo.

"A few months." Amy shrugged. "They haven't done anything. They just sit there"

The cubes stayed but Amy and Rory went about their lives like everything was normal. They celebrated their 10th anniversary with a big house party. The Doctor came late but arrived nonetheless.

The couple was happy and laughing it up with friends but Rory's father had a feeling something was wrong.

"Doctor, I know maybe there's some confidentiality issue involved but are they alright?" Brian asked.

"I think so. There's nothing to worry about" The Doctor reassured him. "Just keep looking out for them."

Brian spent a lot more time at the Pond's household. Amy was so pleased that Rory's father had accepted her that she went out of her way to help him. She wanted to prove that she was good enough.

"Let me help you with that, Brian." Amy would jump in whenever she saw him doing a chore around the house. She took half the dishes he'd been drying and took care of them. "Does it look good, Brian?" She asked.

"Looks wonderful, Amy" Brian smiled noticing how she lit up when Brian complimented her efforts. He felt even happier when he saw how Amy beamed when his son walked in.

"How was your day?" Amy smiled and took his bag. "Look we cleaned the whole kitchen." She waited for Rory to smile and nod before continuing. "I'll put the kettle on for you. I know you've had a long day at work." Amy ran up and kissed him.

"Thanks, love you" Rory smiled as his wife walked back to the stove.

Melody ran in and hugged her father. "Dad!" She was nine years old now.

Rory kept forgetting what a big girl she was. "Go help your mum with the tea. I really need to talk to you granddad." Rory and Brian walked into the living room. "Dad, I'm so glad you've been spending time here with Amy. It really helps. She loves it."

"Yeah, I've noticed." Brian's smile diminished somewhat. "But I just have to ask. What are the cubes? Is Amelia well? She mentioned them and I didn't know what to say."

"She's as well as Amy can be I guess" Rory shrugged. "They've been popping up everywhere for nearly a year now but they haven't done anything so we figured it's not a serious problem." Rory put his hand on his father's shoulder. "You're really helping by being here with her. Thanks"

"I was so afraid she'd recent me for all the indifference I showed her in the past. But..." Brian looked down at the ground feeling rather guilty about his mistreatment of Amy and his son. "She's so happy I'm here"

"All she's ever wanted was to be part of a family, dad. After her aunt dumped her; she had no one." Rory smiled as he remembered what Amy had told him the other day. "You know Amy said she was so happy because she's never had a dad before."

"Could you ever forgive me son?" Brian took his son's hand. "I should have stood by you and defended you against your mother. I haven't been a very good father to you in recent years have I? And certainly not to Amy"

"You're not a bad father." Rory reassured him. "No one's perfect."

"I think you might be better than I am" Brian smiled as Melody walked in carrying the tea.

"I think mom is seeing something" Melody whispered not wanting to cause a scene. She had dealt with her mother seeing things before.

Rory went in to check on her and she was just staring at the countertop in the kitchen like something was on it but there was nothing there.

"Amy?" Rory whispered.

"It's just opening and closing." Amy looked up. Her big green eyes stared in wonder. "There's nothing in it. It's just opening and closing."

"The cubes?" Rory asked calmly as he slowly approached her. Amy shook her head yes slowly. "Ok well..." Rory knew how to keep his voice sweet and calm for her when things started getting a bit strange. "Why don't we all sit down in the living room and have some tea. The cube isn't going anywhere, right? It'll be here when you get back but it won't be in the living room, will it?" Rory tried to put that in her head in hopes that she could join everyone in the living room and leave the cube behind in another room. Almost like compartmentalizing the cubes to only appearing in the kitchen.

"Yeah, it won't be in there." Amy still seemed a bit like she was trapped in a dream but she started coming to as she walked into the living room. "It... happened again didn't it?" Amy sounded a little disappointed in herself as she sat down beside Melody on the couch in the living room.

"It's ok, mummy" Melody smiled and put a reassuring hand on Amy's knee. Amy took her daughter's hand in hers and kissed it softly. Her Melody went through so much for her. After a perfectly normal night; Brian went home and it was time for bed. Amy tucked her daughter in and kissed her on the head. As she closed the door behind her she heard a strange rattling coming from the bathroom.


	20. The Cube

Amy tipped toed towards the sound in the bathroom. She was afraid of what it might be. She had a sneaking suspicion her mind was playing tricks on her again and she wasn't sure what to expect. Quickly she opened the door to the bathroom to see one of her black cubes rattling and shaking in the sink. It wasn't opening and closing like the other one in the kitchen. It just shook like something was trapped inside it.

Amy ran back into her bedroom looking quite scared. Rory looked down from the book he was reading in bed and noticed the quiet panic in Amy's eyes. "What's wrong?" He put the book down and started to get out of bed.

"No! Don't move" Amy slowly walked up to the bed. "Everything's fine. Just don't go to the loo."

"What's this all about, Amy?" Rory gave her a look.

"There's a cube in the bathroom that keeps shaking. I think it might explode or something." Amy sat still in the bed beside Rory and heard the rattling coming from the bathroom. "Did you hear it?!" She looked at Rory with her big green eyes.

"Amy, I don't hear anything" Rory spoke in a soothing whisper. "Whatever you saw in the bathroom isn't there, ok" He took her hand in his. "Close your eyes and rest"

Amy did as he said and rested her head on the pillow beside Rory. Just as soon as she began to drift off to sleep Amy woke up to the sound of the rattling cube in the bathroom down the hall again. She was scared but she didn't want to wake her sleeping husband and bother him. She just closed her eyes and focused on trying to make it go away. The Doctor said she needed to anchor herself to reality somehow. Her husband was usually the best anchor she had.

When she awoke the next morning Rory was gone and there was a cube on her night stand. She slowly extended her hand to touch it and spikes shot out from it and took her pulse. She could see her heart beat moving up and down on the cube like those monitors in the hospital. "The cube just spiked me and took my pulse!" Amy yelled as she got up and ran down the hall but then reality hit her all at once like a pain in her chest and she realized she was running down the hall of a hospital.

"Mrs. Williams!" A nurse came running after her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm so sorry... I thought... Where's The Doctor?" Amy felt tears welling up inside her eyes. "Where's Rory?"

"They'll come visit soon, Mrs. Williams. Come lay down. You've had a difficult night." The nurse took her back to her room.

Rory came to see her later that day. "Amy, you broke the sink" He explained. "You really don't remember, do you?"

"No, I'm sorry I..." Amy started to cry softly. "I'm never going to get better, am I?"

"Amy, it's ok" Rory took her bandaged hands in his. "You thought you saw one of those cubes again. Remember that?" He waited for Amy to shake her head yes before continuing. "So you took the pole holding up the shower curtain and started beating the bathroom sink thinking it would stop the cube. You completely broke the sink. Your strength was honestly... pretty surprising." Rory smiled but quickly got serious again when he saw Amy's worried face. "It's fine really" He reassured her. "You cut your hands up a little bit but that's it. You're ok now."

"But I ruined the bathroom." Amy felt so terrible.

"I don't care that much about the sink as long as you're ok, Amy." Rory chuckled.

"I... thank you... I just..." Amy tried to collect her thoughts. "I'm just so angry that I can't control myself. I've been trying really hard and I'd been doing so well for so long. I want to be good for you and I keep messing it up." Amy started fighting back tears.

"No, no don't" Rory gave her a hug. "You're plenty good enough." He brushed the tears from her eyes. "I'm sure you'll be out of here by the end of the day, alright?"

Amy shook her head yes and took a deep breath to regain composure. She smiled as Rory waved goodbye and said his quick I love you before leaving the room. She closed her eyes and slept but when she woke up it was dark outside and a cube was hovering in the corner of the room. Just hovering and nothing else. There were no openings and no rattling but it made Amelia so very scared. It came closer and started looming over her. It was hovering right over her head before it disappeared as soon as The Doctor came in.

"So the cubes are finally doing something?" The Doctor smiled excitedly as he walked into Amy's hospital room. He was honestly very interested in finding out what the cubes were doing.

"You just missed it!" Amy pointed at the ceiling. "It was hovering over my head."

"So one is hovering, one's rattling and the other has a little door that opens and closes?" The Doctor thought out loud as he rubbed his chin. "Do you think there's some feelings in you that need exposing? Maybe they're in the cubes, the thoughts you might be trying to hide."

"I'm not hiding anything from you, Doctor" Amy looked slightly hurt. "You're not accusing me of being a liar, are you?"

"No, I simply mean that maybe your subconscious is storing something that you don't even realize is there." The Doctor explained.

"I know you're not human, Doctor." Amy's eyes narrowed. "You never were. But I know you can solve this thing"

"Thanks.. I think" The Doctor smiled as he got up from where he'd been sitting beside Amy's bed. He wasn't sure if Amy seriously was under the impression that he was an alien and he wasn't going to point out how wrong she was figuring it wasn't important to bring her back to reality just yet.. Besides, he figured that if he kept Amy in her dream world be might discover it's meaning.


	21. New York

"Amy's coming home. She says the cubes are gone. It's too bad. I wanted to observe her more in hopes of better understanding what they meant." The Doctor sat across from Rory in the Pond's living room.

"I don't care what they meant at long as she's safe." Rory looked a little annoyed. "Amy isn't some kind of experiment for you to observe, she's your patient and my wife."

"I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive" Dr Smith apologized. Rory quietly nodded to accept it.

The next year was a very prolific one for the celebrated science fiction novelist, Mrs. Amy Pond with two incredibly successful books. The Year of The Slow Invasion was praised as 'heart-warming and enormous fun". While Melody Malone: Private Detective was hailed as 'A block-buster worthy action/thriller' and 'brilliant film-noir sci-fi'. Amy was so popular she was flown to New York City with her whole family for a massive book signing and Q&A in her honor filled with her biggest fans.

Once they got a chance to actually explore the city they settled on a spot in Central Park to have a family picnic. Dr. Smith was invited too of course. "There's something different about you, isn't there?" He had a hard time figuring it out.

"It's my glasses. I'm wearing reading glasses on my nose now. See?" Amy pushed them up with her finger. as she spoke.

"I don't like them." The Doctor frowned. "They make your eyes look all liney." He quickly had to eat his words when he realized the lines around Amy's eyes had nothing to do with how her glasses fit her and everything to do with her slowly approaching her mid-thirties. "No, actually... Sorry, they're fine. Carry on"

Amy wasn't falling for his attempt at a recovery. "Rory?" She smiled at her husband. "Do I have noticeable lines on my eyes now?"

Rory turned around so as not to look at her when he lied. "No" He answered.

"You didn't look" Amy knew Rory couldn't lie when he was looking at her.

"I noticed them earlier." Rory quickly turned around noticing his error. "Didn't notice them! I specifically remember not noticing them. Who wants coffee?" He quickly changed the subject. They all agreed and Rory went out in search for coffee with Melody while Amy and The Doctor stayed on their picnic blanket.

"Nice job, old man" Amy rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry" Dr. Smith blushed a little. "I forget you're not the little girl I met all those years ago"

"To me you're still the handsome young doctor I met all those years ago even if you do have some rather noticeable lines under those eyes." Amy smiled.

Rory held his daughter's hand as they weaved through the crowded streets of New York to the nearest coffee shop. "Can I have a coffee, dad?" Melody tugged at her father's sleeve

"I don't know, Melody. It's sort of a grown up drink. I don't think you're going to like it." Rory smiled.

"I'm almost 12, dad!" Melody put her hands on her hips in an effort to stand her ground.

"Oh, fine. Well, in that case, we'll have a triple espressos for the young lady." Rory joked making Melody cross her arms and frown like any pre-teen girl would at a dad joke.

They settled on letting Melody have a frozen choco-latte and started walking back to the park. But something strange was creeping into the corner of his eye. Rory could have sworn he saw something, someone. Someone he hadn't seen in years. His hands were full with coffee for Amy and The Doctor so he couldn't hold his daughter's hand.

"Walk faster" Rory spoke as he walked with his daughter.

"Why?" Melody saw the worry in her father's face and began to walk quickly with him. "Dad, what is it?" She whispered.

"Nothing, you run ahead" Rory watched as she did as he said. Melody didn't know what it was all about but it sounded serious so she obeyed without question.

"Hello, Rory" River stopped him in his tracks and made him spill his coffee. "Get in" She pointed with her gun to the car that pulled up behind him.

He obeyed as he shot River an angry look when she sat down next to him in the backseat. "Don't you dare touch my family." Rory's voice was low and deep as a quiet rage began bubbling up to the surface.

"You're girls are safe. It's The Doctor we're after. He isn't all he seems, Rory. You have to believe me." River seemed to be genuinely honest. "I may have been wrong about some things but there's a whole team of us working to make sure Doctor Smith pays for his crimes."

"Mom! Mom!" Melody finally reached Amy and Doctor Smith.

"What's going on?" Amy noticed her daughter was alone. "Where's Rory?"

"I don't know. He told me to run back to you. I could tell he was worried about something" Melody sipped her frozen choco-latte.

"I don't like the sound of that." The Doctor knew it wasn't like Rory to act so irrationally. "Let's go back to the scene of the incident and see if he's still there." They ran back but there was no one there. The Doctor's phone beeped. "I got a message" The Doctor picked it up to see it said 'Hello, Sweetie'. Dr. Smith's heart sank to his stomach. "Check Rory's phone. We can find his location with it, right?"

"On it." Amy called but there was no answer. Even so it did show where he was; or at least where his phone was. "Winter Quay?" Amy read what was on her phone. She looked up at The Doctor for some sort of confirmation that he knew what to do. But he looked equally confused.

Rory arrived at a strangely empty hotel and was forced into a room. "By now I'm sure your daughter has told Dr. Smith you've disappeared. He'll be trying to help his precious Amy find you." River looked down at the phone in her hand. "Looks like they just tried to call" She smiled. "No doubt they're trying to triangulate a signal to find your location."


	22. Together Or Not At All

Amy, Melody and The Doctor ran to the location they'd seen on the GPS. "This looks like an old hotel." Amy thought it seemed somewhat abandoned. "This place doesn't feel safe. Stay close to The Doctor, Melody. We'll split up and search."

The Doctor and Melody took one hall while Amy took another. There was no one anywhere; all the rooms were empty. Suddenly, Amy saw something out of the corner of her eye. She quickly turned around to see a statue of an angel on the other side of the hall. She felt something hit her gut from the inside out as the memories of fallen angels came flooding back. She was 13 again and the angels were back. It was just like before. They'd come back for her to turn her to stone, to kill her for good.

It flew up right to her face and stared at her, smiling mischieviously. She screamed for The Doctor but no one came. She backed up against a door and looked over to see that Rory's name was written on the side of the door. She quickly ran inside to see an old man lying on the bed. It was Rory but they'd changed him; the angels had slowly let him live to death. Amy ran to him and held his hand until he closed his eyes for the last time.

She couldn't speak, she only whimpered as she held Rory's lifeless hands.

"Could someone please tell me what is going on." Rory's voice made Amy jump up. He was alive and standing next to Melody and Dr. Smith in the room's doorway. The old man was gone.

"Rory!" Amy jumped up and held him tight. "You just died. This place is filled with angels. Everytime you try to leave you get sent back. This place belongs to the angels. They built it."

"This is an abandoned building, Amy." Rory looked into her eyes noticing she wasn't quite there. "Mels, stay with your mum. I have to talk to Dr. Smith alone." Rory closed the door behind them. "River's back, Doctor. She was trying to tell me this crazy story... Please tell me none of it's true."

Rory told him about the experiments River had talked about. Experiments on the human brain to see how it works, what really makes it tick. "Doctor, River said people have died. Please tell me that's not true. Is Amy safe?"

"I would never hurt Amy" Dr. Smith replied.

"Mum!" Melody's voice echoed through the halls.

"You'd better start running, Doctor. Because they're coming for you. And if I find out you've hurt Amy, I'll be coming for you next." Rory warned him as he ran back towards his daughter's voice.

"Dad, I'm sorry." Melody held back tears. "She just ran past me."

Rory saw his wife running up the stairs. "Why up?" He yelled as he tried to chase her.

"Better than down!" Amy ran all the way up to the roof with Rory not far behind. She stood by the ledge and Rory took her hand in his as they both stood dangerously close to the edge. "If you jump it'll poison the well and kill the angels." Amy said.

"Do you want me to jump? Please tell me I'm wrong because I'm really scared." Rory's eyes start to water as he holds his wife in his arms.

"Together or not at all" Amy began to cry.

"No, Amy what are you doing?!" Dr. Smith yelled as he saw Amy and Rory standing on the ledge.

"Tell me this isn't you, Doctor. Tell me you had nothing to do with this." Rory looked at River, who'd run up behind Dr. Smith. "Tell me this is just her getting lost again. It's not him, he didn't do this." Rory was trying to hold back tears.

"I never wanted to hurt either of you" The Doctor's eyes filled with tears.

"He knew his medications weren't tested properly but he used them anyway." River chimed in. "Why do you think I went mad? I fell for it too. I thought the medication would work."

Amy stood on the ledge holding Rory's hand. She was facing the ground below and crying. "Could you do it?"

"To save you, I could do anything." Rory whispered, wishing so much to bring her back. He looked down at the ground below and held her hand tightly, tears streaming down his face. There had to be something he could do to turn her around.

The Doctor had only wanted to keep her. When she got better she stopped having him come around. He gave her enough to keep her functioning but enough to keep her needing him. It was true that he'd been working with a medication that was considered not ready for public use. But it was never intended to make her suicidal. What was worse was that Rory was willing to risk falling in order to save her. He loved Rory too, they were both his children.

Melody was downstairs waiting, she was just a girl. She could hear them all yelling and screaming. She'd dealt with her mother's breakdowns before but it wasn't like this. Her mother had said to her once when she was too little to understand, "I wish I could tell you that you'll be loved. That you'll be safe and cared for and protected. But this isn't time for lies, what you are going to be, Melody, is very very brave." She was 11 years old now. Maybe she was becoming old enough to understand. She wasn't sure if the screams came from her parents or from the doctors. She was still too afraid to move, she stood at the stairwell leading to the roof as if frozen in place.

People started to notice, they'd called the police and news helicopters began to make their way to the scene. It was breaking news within minutes. "A well known fiction writer and fashion model, Amy Pond is threatening to jump to her death atop an abandoned building in New York City. As we speak, we can see her husband is standing at her side holding her hand. No doubt, pleading for her to make her way back to safety. Amelia Pond has suffered from hallucinations and mental illness since childhood including a brief stint in a mental institution after she was arrested for grand theft and reckless endangerment. More to come as the story develops."


	23. About Your Nightmares

Amy stood in the graveyard as the sun was setting, Rory beside her. She heard an indiscernible voice."What?" Amy asked, quickly turning around. She had been slipping in and out of lucidity for a few days. She was on the proper medication now and Dr. Smith was under investigation after River's accusations seemed to be grounded in fact. "Doctor!" Amy screamed. "Where's Rory?" She looked down at the gravestone in front of her. "The gravestone, there's room for one more name, isn't there?" Amy felt her skin crawling. She was beginning to remember. Rory stood next to her on the ledge and when she went to jump he pushed her back to safety on the roof. Police came and took her and The Doctor away. They said The Doctor was the one to blame but Amy believed it was her, she was the one to blame. "The angel, would it send me back to him?" Amy asked, looking at the stone angel pointing at her in the graveyard. "I'll be with him, like I should be. Me and Rory together." Amy knew the angel was calling her. After running from them for all these years, the angels were back to take her life.

Melody was 13 years old when her mother died, her father had died one year previously after a terrible accident. She was sent to a school for girls where she could be looked after but she hated it there. The director was a sour woman with an eye patch and Melody felt the woman staring into her with her one good eye as she slept. There was a little opening at her bedroom door where the woman would peek through and check on her. There was one person at the school she liked, her doctor. He was tall and lean with piecing blue eyes. His looks reminded Melody of an older version of her father, and the doctor's Scottish accent reminded her of her mother. He didn't smile much but she knew he cared.

"I don't feel sick so why did they send a doctor?" Melody asked.

"You've been crying at night, haven't you?" Dr. Capaldi replied. "Having nightmares?"

"I just miss mom and dad." Melody whispered. "That's normal, isn't it? I don't need a doctor for that."

"We're only monitoring you because... you have a history on account of your mother. Sometimes things are hereditary, sometimes they're not." The Doctor explained. "We want to keep you healthy and safe is all."

"I never saw it." Melody said. "I never saw dad die and I never saw mom die. All the news outlets wanted to know if I'd seen it. I never witnessed either of their deaths."

"Yes, you never witnessed the deaths but they impacted you nonetheless." Dr. Capaldi's usually clinical tone softened a bit. "That'll make anyone fragile."

"I'm fine!" Melody stood up from her chair and looked at the door. The nasty old matron with the eye patch opened the little window in the door and glared at her before slamming the door shut behind her. "And tell her I don't need her peeking in every five minutes to check on me."

"Who?" The Doctor asked.

"You know very well who." Melody scoffed and fell onto her bed. "Can you please leave now? I like you, I really do. But all this talking is draining, you know?"

"Sure, Melody." Dr. Capaldi slowly walked out of Melody's room.

Melody had trouble sleeping that night. The eye patch woman had found a way to open a peephole through the roof of her bedroom, as if the one in the door wasn't enough. As she finally began to drift away, she heard a voice call her name. "Mels?" The voice made her sit up in bed. "Are you alright, sweetheart?" Her father sat down on the edge of her bed. "You were talking in your sleep. Nightmares again?" It was dark but Melody could make out her father's familiar profile in the moonlight.

"There's a woman with an eye patch who keeps looking at me." Melody explained.

"No one eyed woman here, Mels." Rory chuckled.

"Dad, do you think I'm seeing things like mom?" She asked her father.

"I'm sure it was just a really bad dream." Rory stood up and walked up to the bedroom window. "Strange that woman you saw had an eye patch. Only one eye, like your mom. When she killed herself, it went straight through the eye." Rory turned back around to face his daughter. "You don't even want to know what I looked like." He chuckled again. "I'm sorry about your nightmares. Try and get some rest, ok sweetie?"

"Thanks, dad." Melody closed her eyes and woke up to the sunlight streaming in from the open window, the one her father had stood next to the night before. "Dad?" she called out. Dr. Capaldi came in instead. "Good afternoon, Melody." He attempted a half smile. "Looks like you slept the morning away."

"Dad was here, he was just here." Melody slowly stood up from her bed. "He said the eye patch lady was just a dream."

"Did he say anything else?" The Doctor sat down at an armchair in Melody's room.

"You know, I'm having a difficult time remembering." Melody chuckled. "I was half asleep when he came in so... something about eyes." She shrugged.

"Yes, well you woke up late so you missed breakfast. I'm sure you're hungry." The Doctor stood from the armchair and walked towards the door. "You get dressed and I'll see you downstairs." He nodded and walked out.

Melody sighed. "Mom you too, I'm changing!" She waited for Amy to walk out of the room before she got into her clothes. She ran downstairs to find no one but The Doctor waiting for her.

"The other girls are all outside for PE. You can join them when you've eaten, unless you'd like to stay in and talk." The Doctor said.

"Did mom leave already?" Melody asked as she picked up her fork. "Could you pass the salt?"

The Doctor handed her the salt shaker and replied. "Yes, she left already."


End file.
